Applications insight into the plasmochemical state and optical properties of amorphous CNx films deposited by gas injection magnetron sputtering method

This manuscript reports the results of carbon nitride (CNx) film deposition carried out using the gas injection magnetron sputtering method. In this experiment, a pulsed gas injection was used to arrange the varying neon/nitrogen (Ne/N-2) plasma discharge. This approach influences on the transition between two excitation mechanisms of plasma particles, which changed from Penning ionization to electron impact excitation, as the share of N-2 pressure was increased in the range of 0.05-0.45 Pa. In relation to that outcome, the CNx (0.04 <= x <= 0.21) films presented a smoothly fluctuated chemical state, which varied from bonds hybridized in the sp(1) (N C) nitrile groups, sp(2) (N = C) graphite sheets, to disordered sp(3) (N - C) chain structures as proved by the study of the N1s and C1s core-level spectra. These were tied up in amorphous structure arrangement, and consisted of either oxidized graphitic sheet or beta-C3N4 phase, as revealed in the fast Fourier transform analysis. In conclusion, on the basis of an investigation of indiscrete optical band gap (E-1g < 1.1 eV and 3.2 < E-2g < 4.3 eV), the CNx were emphasized as a highly transparent (similar to 90%) film, proving its application potential for the near-infrared devices.

Automated summary

This study presents the deposition of carbon nitride (CNx) films using gas injection magnetron sputtering, with a focus on the transition between different excitation mechanisms of plasma particles and the resulting varied chemical states of the films. The CNx films showed potential for near-infrared devices with high transparency, based on an investigation of the optical band gaps.