Spatially Resolved Compositional Analysis of a BCN Thin Film Grown on a Ni Substrate by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

ABSTRACTA thin film consisting of boron, carbon, and nitrogen (BCN) was grown on a polycrystalline Ni substrate by thermal chemical vapor deposition. The local elemental composition of the BCN film was analyzed by scanning Auger electron spectroscopy. The film is elementally highly inhomogeneous and consists of domains with a typical size of 1-10 μm and irregular shapes. The domain structure is strongly related to the structure of the grains of the polycrystalline Ni film beneath the domain. A thick domain is often formed on a small Ni grain. On a large and flat Ni grain, the film thickness is relatively small, and both the boron and nitrogen contents are often below the detection limit, indicating that it is a graphene domain. Boron and nitrogen contents are highly correlated, which is consistent with formation of hexagonal boron nitride. However, unbalanced boron and nitrogen contents are observed from thick domains.