Physical properties of nitrogen-doped diamond-like amorphous carbon films deposited by supermagnetron plasma chemical vapor deposition

Diamond-like amorphous carbon films doped with nitrogen (DAC:N) were deposited on Si and glass wafers intermittently using i-C4H10/N2 repetitive supermagnetron plasma chemical vapor deposition. Deposition duration, which is equal to a plasma heating time of wafer, was selected to be 40 or 60 s, and several layers were deposited repetitively to form one thick film. DAC:N films were deposited at a lower-electrode temperature of 100 °C as a function of upper- and lower-electrode rf powers (200 W/200 W–1 kW/1 kW) and N2 concentration (0%–80%). With an increase in N2 concentration and rf power, the resistivity and the optical band gap decreased monotonously. With increase of the deposition duration from 40 to 60 s, resistivity decreased to 0.03Ω cm and optical band gap decreased to 0.02 eV (substantially equal to 0 eV within the range of experimental error), at an N2 concentration of 80% and rf power of 1 kW(/1 kW).