Synthesis and optical properties of BCxNy films deposited from N-triethylborazine and hydrogen mixture

• Thin BCxNy films have been obtained by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.
• N-triethylborazine was used as a precursor.
• Low temperature BCxNy films were found to be high optical transparent layers (93%).
• Optical band gap of the BCxNy layers varied from 0.6 to 4.5 eV.

BCxNy films were obtained by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method using a single-source precursor N-triethylborazine and hydrogen as plasma activating gas. The effect of synthesis temperature on the chemical composition and properties of the BCxNy films was investigated. The BCxNy films were examined by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ellipsometry and spectrophotometry techniques. These experimental results indicated that the BCxNy films produced at low temperatures (Tdep ≤ 673 K) are the polymer-like hydrogenated films with high transparency up to 93% in the visible part of the spectrum. BCxNy films produced at high temperatures (> 673 K) contain additional phase of disordered carbon which has dramatically reduce transparency. The band gap of the films varied from 0.6 to 4.5 eV, with variation in deposition temperature.