Carbon nitride thin films prepared by a capacitively coupled RF plasma jet

Carbon nitride thin films have been downstream deposited from a nitrogen plasma beam sustained by a capacitively coupled discharge generated between a RF powered carbon electrode and a grounded carbon nozzle. The spectral emission of the plasma jet strongly exhibits the CN radical emission indicating that the deposition takes place via a mechanism involving the CN radical. The deposition process is enhanced by DC biasing the powered electrode. The films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, infrared absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that the films are amorphous and contain in a large extent carbon nitrogen bonds.