Abstract
Hydrogenated carbon nitride (a-CN:H) films were deposited on n-type (1 0 0) silicon substrates making use of direct current radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (DC-RF-PECVD), using a gas mixture of CH 4 and N 2 as the source gas in range of N 2/CH 4 flow ratio from 1/3 to 3/1 (sccm). The deposition rate, composition and bonding structure of the a-CN:H films were characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The mechanical properties of the deposited films were evaluated using nano-indentation test. It was found that the parameter for the DC-RF-PECVD process had significant effects on the growth rate, structure and properties of the deposited films. The deposition rate of the films decreased clearly, while the N/C ratio in the films increased with increasing N 2/CH 4 flow ratio. CN radicals were remarkably formed in the deposited films at different N 2/CH 4 flow ratio, and their contents are related to the nitrogen concentrations in the deposited films. Moreover, the hardness and Young’s modulus of the a-CN:H films sharply increased at first with increasing N 2/CH 4 flow ratio, then dramatically decreased with further increase of the N 2/CH 4 flow ratio, and the a-CN:H film deposited at 1/1 had the maximum hardness and Young’s modulus. In addition, the structural transformation from sp 3-like to sp 2-like carbon–nitrogen network in the deposited films also was revealed.
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