Chemical synthesis and surface morphology of amorphous hydrogenated carbon nitride film deposited by N2/CH4dielectric barrier discharge plasma

Abstract

A dielectric barrier discharge of N₂:CH₄ mixture was operated at 500 mbar was employed to deposit poly-amide (HCN _x ) film, under low input power and atmospheric pressure. The top surface layer of amorphous hydrogenated carbon nitride (a-HCN _x ) is analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Bulk a-HCN _x is analyzed by means of fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The deposited polymer having triple bond (–C≡N/–C≡C–) at ∼2180 cm⁻¹ and carbonyl-amide group –(C=O)NH– at ∼1680 cm⁻¹, were synthesized by FTIR spectroscopy to elucidate the nature of the products formed from N₂/CH₄ mixture. The nitrile group (–C≡N/–) is decreasing with the elevated annealing temperature is obtained from FTIR spectrum. Shake-up satellite peaks are observed in XPS spectrum at room temperature. The shake-up peaks disappear gradually as the annealing temperature is increased from 50 to 300 °C. Simultaneously, the chemical shift of 1s electron shifted to its own advantageous position. The surface roughness (Root Mean Square, RMS) of the HCN _x film is changing from 5.3 to 28.2 nm as the annealing temperature increases from room temperature to 300 °C.