Amorphous Hydrogenated Carbon Films Deposited by PECVD: Nitrogen Incorporation during Film Growth and by Plasma Surface Processing

Amorphous carbon films are being currently used in a wide variety of applications. The properties of the films can be tuned by the deposition technique employed and by the growth conditions. One way to improve these properties is through the incorporation into the amorphous skeleton of several elements, like H, N, F and Si. In this work, we review the effects of nitrogen incorporation into hydrogenated carbon films (a‐C:H) deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and by post‐deposition nitrogen plasma processing of a‐C:H films. Modifications on film microstructure, surface morphology, mechanical and tribological properties are discussed.