Reactive magnetron sputter deposited CN{sub {ital x}}: Effects of N{sub 2} pressure and growth temperature on film composition, bonding, and microstructure

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.580190· OSTI ID:390428

Zheng, W T; Sjoestroem, H; Ivanov, I; Xing, K Z; Broitman, E; Salaneck, W R; Greene, J E; Sundgren, J ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Linkoeping University, S-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden)

Effects of growth processes on chemical bond structure, microstructure, and mechanical properties of carbon-nitride (CN{sub {ital x}}) thin films, deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in a pure N{sub 2} discharge, are reported. The film deposition rate {ital R}{sub {ital D}} increases with increasing N{sub 2} pressure {ital P}{sub N{sub 2}} while N/C ratios remain constant. Maximum N concentration was {approximately}35 at.%. {ital R}{sub {ital D}} was found to be dependent upon the film growth temperature {ital T}{sub {ital s}}. For a given {ital P}{sub N{sub 2}}, {ital R}{sub {ital D}} decreased slightly as {ital T}{sub {ital s}} was increased from 100 to 600 C. The variations in {ital R}{sub {ital D}} with both {ital P}{sub N{sub 2}} and {ital T}{sub {ital s}} can be explained by ion-induced desorption of cyano radicals CN{sub {ital x}} from both the target and growth surfaces during deposition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses showed that N atoms in films grown at {ital T}{sub {ital s}}{approx_gt}350{degree}C with low nitrogen partial pressures {ital P}{sub N{sub 2}}, {approximately}2.5 mTorr, were bound to C atoms through hybridized {ital sp}{sup 2} and {ital sp}{sup 3} configurations. For low {ital T}{sub {ital s}}=100{degree}C and higher {ital P}{sub N{sub 2}}, 10 mTorr, triple-bonded C{equivalent_to}N was detected by FTIR. Two types of microstructures were observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, depending on {ital T}{sub {ital s}}: an amorphous phase, containing crystalline clusters for films deposited at {ital T}{sub {ital s}}=100{degree}C, while a turbostraticlike or fullerenelike phase was observed for films deposited at {ital T}{sub {ital s}}{approx_gt}200{degree}C CN{sub {ital x}} films deposited a higher {ital T}{sub {ital s}} and lower {ital P}{sub N{sub 2}} were found to have higher hardness and elastic modulus. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Vacuum Society}

• Research Organization: Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ER01198
• OSTI ID: 390428
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A, Vol. 14, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
THIN FILMS
MICROSTRUCTURE
CARBON NITRIDES
SPUTTERING
DEPOSITION
CHEMICAL BONDS
AMORPHOUS STATE
FULLERENES
PHASE STUDIES
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
SPUTTERED MATERIALS
PLASMA SOURCES