Nanocluster's magnetron sputtering of carbon-nitride and hybrid nickel-carbon-nitride films

Abstract

High argon and nitrogen gas pressure and low plasma power has been used to produce carbon nitride (CNx) and nickel carbon nitride (Ni@CNx) films by reactive dc magnetron sputtering. Under these conditions, the growth of the film occurs as a process of precipitation of clusters of sputtered material, rather than individual atoms. Scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution x-ray photoemission spectroscopy were used for structural characterization of CNx films on quartz substrates. The corresponding structural diagram determined by the substrate temperature and nitrogen concentration in the CNx film has been built. It includes four main nanostructures: graphite-like, fullerene-like, diamond-like and nano columnar. Production conditions of core/shell (nickel/carbon-nitride) nanocolumnar structures have been discussed.