Effect of nitrogen on the optoelectronic properties of a highly sp2-rich amorphous carbon nitride films

Abstract In this study, we investigate the relationship between the nitrogen content and the optoelectronic properties in sputtered amorphous carbon nitride films (a-CNx). The incorporation of nitrogen and the resulting microstructure changes reveal that the evolution of the optical gap is attributed to the connectivity of the Csp2 clusters and their global organisation. The increase in the N content induces the formation of C≡N terminating bonds affecting this connectivity, and therefore, the Csp2 cluster size and their relative disorder.