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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: meshen@cityu.edu.hk
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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

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