Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T13:25:12.682Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Nanostructural C-Al-N thin films studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Y.F. Han ,
T. Fu  and
Y.G. Shen
Y.F. Han
Affiliation:
Department of Manufacturing and Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
T. Fu
Affiliation:
Department of Manufacturing and Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Y.G. Shen*
Affiliation:
Department of Manufacturing and Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The effects of Al incorporation and post-deposition annealing on the structural properties of C-Al-N thin films prepared by reactive unbalanced dc-magnetron sputtering were investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). XPS studies demonstrated the presence of abundant Al-N bonds in addition to C-C and N-C bonds. At low incorporations of Al and N, the films were found to be essentially amorphous. By Raman and HRTEM, the formation of ∼5 nm fullerene-like carbon nitride (FL-CNx) nanostructures in an amorphous (C, CNx) matrix was evidenced with increasing Al content in the films. Crystalline improvement of FL-CNx nanostructures was seen, as well as the precipitation of ∼3–4 nm face centered cubic (fcc-) AlN nanograins by thermal annealing at 500 °C or above. Through these improvements, C-Al-N nanocomposite thin films were achieved. The effects of the incorporated Al and annealing on stabilizing fcc-AlN nanograins and FL-CNx nanostructures are elucidated and explained through the use of thermodynamic considerations.

Keywords

NanostructureSputteringThin film
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 24 , Issue 11 , November 2009 , pp. 3321 - 3330
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Lejeune, M., Charvet, S., Zeinert, A., and Benlahsen, M.: Optical behavior of reactive sputtered carbon nitride films during annealing. J. Appl. Phys. 103, 013507 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Broitman, E., Hellgren, N., Jrrendahl, K., Johansson, M.P., Olafsson, S., Radnczi, G., Sundgren, J-E., and Hultman, L.: Electrical and optical properties of CNx(0 x 0.25) films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. J. Appl. Phys. 89, 1184 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Neidhardt, J. and Hultman, L.: Beyond -C3N4fullerene-like carbon nitride: A promising coating material. J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 25, 633 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Robertson, J.: Ultrathin carbon coatings for magnetic storage technology. Thin Solid Films 383, 81 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Wang, X.C., Li, Z.Q., Wu, P., Jiang, E.Y., and Bai, H.L.: Annealing effects on the microstructure of amorphous carbon nitride films. Appl. Surf. Sci. 253, 2087 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Wang, Z., Wang, C.B., Wang, Q., and Zhang, J.Y.: Annealing effect on the microstructure modification and tribological properties of amorphous carbon nitride films. J. Appl. Phys. 104, 073306 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Das, D., Chen, K.H., Chattopadhyay, S., and Chen, L.C.: Spectroscopic studies of nitrogenated amorphous carbon films prepared by ion beam sputtering. J. Appl. Phys. 91, 4944 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Berlind, T., Hellgren, N., Johansson, M.P., and Hultman, L.: Microstructure, mechanical properties, and wetting behavior of Si-C-N thin films grown by reactive magnetron sputtering. Surf. Coat. Technol. 141, 145 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Radnczi, G., Sfrn, G., Czgny, Z., Berlind, T., and Hultman, L.: Structure of DC sputtered Si-C-N thin films. Thin Solid Films 440, 41 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Lu, Y.H. and Shen, Y.G.: Nanostructure transition: From solid solution Ti(N, C) to nanocomposite nc-Ti(N, C)/a-(C, CNx). Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 221913 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Lu, Y.H. and Shen, Y.G.: Nanostructure evolution and properties of two-phase nc-Ti(C, N)/a-(C, CNx) nanocomposites by highresolution transmission electron microcopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. J. Mater. Res. 22, 2460 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Kovcs, G.J., Kos, A., Bertoni, G., Sfrn, G., Geszti, O., Serin, V., Colliex, C., and Radnczi, G.: Structure and spectroscopic properties of C-Ni and CNx-Ni nanocomposite films. J. Appl. Phys. 98, 034313 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Jiang, N., Xu, S., Ostrikov, K.N., Chai, J., Li, Y., Koh, M.L., and Lee, S.: Synthesis and structural properties of Al-C-N-O composite thin films. Thin Solid Films 385, 55 (2001).Google Scholar
14.Ji, A.L., Ma, L.B., Liu, C., Li, C.R., and Cao, Z.X.: Synthesis and characterization of superhard aluminum carbonitride thin films. Diamond Relat. Mater. 14, 1348 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Hellgren, N., Johansson, M.P., Broitman, E., Hultman, L., and Sundgren, J-E.: Role of nitrogen in the formation of hard and elastic CNx thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering. Phys. Rev. B 59, 5162 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Shirley, D.A.: High-resolution x-ray photoemission spectrum of valence bands of gold. Phys. Rev. B 5, 4709 (1972).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Wagner, C.D., Riggs, W.M., Davis, L.E., Moulder, J.F., and Muilenberg, G.E.: Handbook of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (Physical Electronics Division, Perkin-Elmer Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN, 1979), p. 184.Google Scholar
18.Sjstrm, H., Stafstrm, S., Boman, M., and Sundgren, J-E.: Superhard and elastic carbon nitride thin films having fullerenelike microstructure. Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 1336 (1995).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Neidhardt, J., Hultman, L., and Czigny, Z.: Correlated high resolution transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of structured CNx(0 x 0.25) thin solid film. Carbon 42, 2729 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Binnewies, M. and Milke, E.: Thermochemical Data of Elements and Compounds (Wiley-VCH, New York, 1999), pp. 39, 62.Google Scholar
21.Ferrari, A.C. and Robertson, J.: Interpretation of Raman spectra of disordered and amorphous carbon. Phys. Rev. B 61, 14095 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Abrasonis, G., Gago, R., Vinnichenko, M., Kreissig, U., Kolitsch, A., and Mller, W.: Sixfold ring clustering in sp2-dominated carbon and carbon nitride thin films: A Raman spectroscopy study. Phys. Rev. B 73, 125427 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23.Tuinstra, F. and Koenig, J.L.: Raman spectrum of graphite. J. Chem. Phys. 53, 1126 (1970).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Bacsa, W.S., de Heer, W.A., Ugarte, D., and Chtelain, A.: Raman spectroscopy of closed-shell carbon particles. Chem. Phys. Lett. 211, 346 (1993).CrossRefGoogle Scholar