Investigation of BCN films deposited at various N2/Ar flow ratios by DC reactive magnetron sputtering

In this paper, boron carbonitride films were deposited by a do reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering of conductive B4C target in a mixture gas of nitrogen and argon. The films with various content of N were obtained by a varying N-2/Ar flow ratio in the mixed gas from 0/100 to 30/100. Structures and compositions of the films were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the content of B, C, N, and the ratio of each element binding states depend on the ratio of N-2/Ar flow. The nitrogen content showed the rising tendency and then came to the saturation stage with an increasing N-2/Ar flow ratio. The maximal N content of 33.1 at.% was obtained when N-2/Ar flow ratio was 30/100. Nitrogen in the film is prior to binding with B forming sp(2) B-N bond, and then with C forming sp(2) C-N bond, when the N-2/Ar ratio is over a certain value during the nitrogen was introduced into a vacuum chamber. The results of the FTIR indicate that the film is a compound of B-C-N atomic hybridization.