Synthesis of nitrogen incorporated diamond-like carbon thin films using microwave surface-wave plasma CVD

Nitrogenated diamond-like (DLC:N) carbon thin films have been deposited by microwave surface wave plasma chemical vapor deposition on silicon and quartz substrates, using argon gas, camphor dissolved in ethyl alcohol composition and nitrogen as plasma source. The deposited DLC:N films were characterized for their chemical, optical, structural and electrical properties through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV/VIS/NIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscope and current–voltage characteristics. Optical band gap decreased (2.7 to 2.4 eV) with increasing Ar gas flow rate. The photovoltaic measurements of DLC:N / p-Si structure show that the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 168.8 mV and a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 8.4 μA/cm2 under light illumination (AM 1.5 100 mW/cm2). The energy conversion efficiency and fill factor were found to be 3.4 × 10− 4% and 0.238 respectively.