Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of carbon nitride thin films

Carbon nitride thin films were deposited on Si 100.substrates by electron beam evaporation of graphite and simultaneous low energy nitrogen ion bombardment. They were analysed by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The formed amorphous layers are tetrahedrally bonded and consist of sp3 carbon bonds with one nitrogen atom among its nearest neighbours. Substitution of the tetrahedrally bonded carbon atom by nitrogen leads to decrease of the percentage weight of the nanocrystalline diamond phase and formation of a CN phase embedded in the amorphous carbon layer. By changing the x deposition conditions, redistribution of sp2 and sp3 bonded C–N occurs. q1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved