High conductivity a-C:N thin films prepared by electron gun evaporation
- Facultad de Ciencias Fisico-Matematicas, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla (Mexico)
- Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla (Mexico)
- Laboratorio de Investigacion en Materiales, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Queretaro (Mexico)
- Departamento de Fisica, CINVESTAV-IPN, P.O. Box-14-740, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, 07360 D.F. (Mexico)
By employing electron beam evaporation, amorphous carbon nitride (a-C:N) thin films, with a low nitrogen content ({approx} 1%), were prepared on Si(110) and glass substrates at about 150 deg. C. The source was a graphite target and an ambient of N{sub 2} was introduced into the growing chamber. The source-substrate distance (SSD) was the main parameter that was intentionally varied. Electron dispersion spectroscopy measurements indicate the nitrogen concentration in the layer as {approx} 1%. The dark electrical conductivity ({sigma}) of layers was very sensitive to SSD variation, changing up to six orders of magnitude when this parameter was varied from 10.5 to 23.5 cm. A maximum value of {sigma} = 1 x 10{sup 3} {omega}{sup -1} cm{sup -1} at room temperature was obtained when the SSD was equal to 15.5 cm. We have deduced that, in accordance with the Ferrari-Robertson model (FRM), our samples are localized in the second stage of the amorphization trajectory of FRM. When the SSD increases the C atoms have more probability to collide with N{sub 2} molecules, and the content of nitrogen in the a-C film increases. The amorphization trajectory followed by the films with an SSD increase is from nanocrystalline graphite to amorphous carbon. The changes in the amorphization are due to the nitrogen content in the layers.
- OSTI ID:
- 21003586
- Journal Information:
- Materials Characterization, Vol. 58, Issue 8-9; Conference: 14. International materials research congress: Symposium 7, Cancun (Mexico), 21-25 Aug 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.matchar.2006.11.010; PII: S1044-5803(06)00331-7; Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1044-5803
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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