Excimer laser ablation process characteristics for carbon nitride and diamond-like films preparation

We deposited diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films and carbon nitride (CN) thin films by KrF excimer laser ablation of graphite carbon target in helium, hydrogen, nitrogen and mixed nitrogen and hydrogen gas ambient conditions. We report spectroscopic properties of the laser plasma plume produced during DLC and CN thin film deposition. Optical emission measurements at non-reactive helium ambient gas showed the appearance of neutral and ionic species such as C and C+. Strong emission from molecules, CH, C-2 and CN produced by the reaction in gaseous phase was observed with the ambient hydrogen and nitrogen gases. The properties of DLC and CN thin films are strongly affected by the laser plume dynamics. DLC and CN films were deposited on a quartz substrate and a single-crystalline Si(100) wafer at room temperature. Typical deposited DLC and CN thin films had an optical band gap of similar to 2.0 eV. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.