Effects of applied radio frequency power on low-temperature catalytic-free nanostructured carbon nitride films by rf PECVD

Low-temperature catalytic-free carbon nitride, CN x nanostructured thin films were produced by using radio frequency (rf) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition employing a parallel-plate electrode configuration. The effects of varying applied rf power, P rf (30–100 W), on the formation of these structures were studied. Aligned nanostructured CN x films were produced at P rf as low as 40 W, but uniform highly vertical-aligned CN x nanorods were produced at P rf of 60 and 80 W. This was induced by the presence of high ion bombardment on the growing films and the preferential bonding of isonitrile to aromatic bonds in the nanostructures. It was also observed that nitrogen incorporation is highest in this range and the structure and bonding in the nanostructure reflects those of typical polymeric/amorphous carbon nitride films.