Comparative characterization of nitrogen-rich CNx films prepared by different ICP-CVD techniques

Thin amorphous nitrogen-rich CNx films (N/(C+N) ≥ 0.5) have been prepared by two inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition (ICP-CVD) techniques: using transport reactions from a solid carbon source and from CCl4/NH3/Ar and CCl4/N2/H2/Ar gas mixtures. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and quadrupole mass spectrometry were used to derive information about the plasma properties. The composition of the films was investigated by Anger electron spectroscopy (AES), wavelength dispersive X-ray (WDX) and elastic recoil detection (ERD) analyses, and the chemical bonding structure by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In addition, several application relevant properties (mechanical, optical, electrical) of the nitrogen-rich CNx films were studied. The results of both deposition methods were compared and discussed on the base of the specificities of the processes.