The effects of the nitrogen on the electrical and structural properties of the diamond-like carbon (DLC) films

Nitrogenated diamond-like carbon (a-C:H:N) films with up to 28 at.% of nitrogen were deposited by reactive d.c. magnetron sputtering with a graphite target in a mixed methane/argon/nitrogen plasma. We have been observed a systematic variation of the properties of these films with the increase in the nitrogen partial pressure. As the nitrogen content in the sputtering gas was increased, the nitrogen content in deposited films increased markedly. Raman analysis was performed to study the chemical bonding structure. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) was used to investigate the chemical composition. Electrical properties were measured through current-voltage (I-V) curves and related to the composition and structure of the films. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.