Copper nitride thin films prepared by the RF plasma chemical reactor with low pressure supersonic single and multi-plasma jet system

The RF plasma chemical reactor with low pressure supersonic plasma jet system (RPJ) has been used for deposition of Cu3N thin films. From comparison of experimental values of composition weight per cent with theoretically predicted ones, and from XRD analysis, it follows that if the RF power absorbed in the reactor does not exceed 75 W, stoichiometric Cu3N films are achieved. The typical value of deposition growth rate was found to be on the order of 16 nm/min for RF power Pw40 W. The optical energy gap Eg and microhardness H of the deposited Cu3N thin films increased with decreasing RF power. They are Eg = 1.24 eV and H = 8.8 GPa for the sample deposited at RF power 40 W. For RF power higher than approximately 75 W, it appears that a small amount of Cu microparticles, up to approximately 1 μm, is diluted in the Cu3N film. The deposition of the microparticles can be explained by local overheating of the probe surface by RF power absorbed in RF hollow cathode discharge.