Vibrational properties of nitrogen-doped ultrananocrystalline diamond films grown by microwave plasma CVD

Ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films grown in an argon-rich Ar/CH(4)/H(2) microwave plasma with nitrogen gas added in amounts of 0%-20% were studied by Raman spectroscopy with multiple excitation wavelengths in the range of 244-647 nm and by optical absorption in UV-visible. The Raman spectra have demonstrated the presence of diamond, amorphous carbon and polyacetylene in the UNCD films. Analysis of vibrational and optical properties of amorphous carbon phase proves that nitrogen stimulates the trarisition from amorphous carbon into an ordered graphite-like structure with narrowed optical band gap, which is supposed to be responsible for the high electrical conductivity of the N-doped UNCD. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.