Growth of Ni/Co-catalyzed crystalline CNx thin films by nitrogen-plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition

Nano crystalline carbon nitride (CNx) thin films have been synthesized by nitrogen-plasma-assisted pulsed-laser deposition. Before depositing carbon nitride film, Ni/Co was deposited on the silicon (100) substrate acting as catalyst. The properties of the deposited films were studied by several diagnostic techniques. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used for detecting the composition ratio N/C in the film. From studying Raman spectra under different conditions we can find how glow discharge pressure affects the carbon nitride film properties. Two stages in this process and nanocrystallites of tens of nanometers embedded in the as-synthesized thin film can be seen by transmission-electron microscopy. The FTIR spectrum suggests an abundance of C-N bonds and paucity of C≡ N bonds, which is a favorable chance for the formation of carbon nitride crystallites. The crystalline nature of the film is detected by X-ray diffraction.