Study on the crystallization behavior of amorphous carbon nitride films

Amorphous carbon nitride films were first prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering, followed by heat treatment under protective nitrogen. The ensuing thermal effects were analyzed by DTA-TG, XRD and XPS. The results showed that heat treatment above 1100°C could induce the transition from an amorphous to a crystalline state of carbon nitride films. Apparent diffraction peaks of α-C3N4 appeared in the XRD spectra of samples heat-treated at 1180°C. XPS results further supported the analysis of crystallization of the films after heat treatment.