Effects of methane gas flow rate on the optoelectrical properties of nitrogenated carbon thin films grown by surface wave microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

We have studied the influence of the methane gas (CH4) flow rate on the composition, structural and electrical properties of nitrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:N) films grown by surface wave microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (SWMP-CVD) using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–visible spectroscopy, 4-point probe and 2-probe method resistance measurement. The photoelectrical properties of a-C:N films was also studied. We have succeed to grow a-C:N films using a novel method of SWMP-CVD at room temperature and found that the deposition rate, bonding, optical and electrical properties of a-C:N films are strongly dependent on the CH4 gas sources and the a-C:N films grown at higher CH4 gas flow rate have relatively high electrical conductivity for both cases of in dark and under illumination condition.