Effect of methane gas on the properties of nitrogenated amorphous carbon films grown by surface wave microwave plasma CVD

Abstract We have studied the influence of the methane gas (CH4) pressure on the surface morphology, composition, structural and electrical properties of nitrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:N) films grown by surface wave microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (SWMP-CVD) using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible spectroscopy and 4-point probe resistance measurement. We have succeed to grow a-C:N films using a novel method of SWMP-CVD at room temperature and found that the surface morphology, bonding, optical and electrical properties of a-C:N films are strongly dependent on the CH4 gas sources and the a-C:N films grown at higher CH4 gas pressure have relatively high electrical conductivity.