Hydrogenated amorphous carbon nitride with controlled hydrogen density — Structural analysis and electric field emission property

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon nitride films that include presumably oxygen atoms were prepared by using the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of mixed gases of He, BrCN, and H2O. By controlling the partial pressure of H2O, the relative number density of the hydrogen atoms was varied. The IR-band intensity analysis suggested that 7–22% of N atoms were incorporated into CN terminations bonding to the aromatic rings and that the NHy (y = 1 or 2) or OH terminations formed hydrogen bonds. The films were coated onto Al-doped ZnO (ZnO:Al) single crystal whiskers to manufacture cold cathode devices. The I–V characteristics of the devices were the Fowler–Nordheim type, and the work functions were determined to be 4.7 ± 0.4–1.9 ± 0.1 eV being dependent negatively on the partial pressure of H2O.