Photoconductivity effects of nitrogenated carbonaceous films grown on various types of substrates by surface wave microwave plasma CVD

The n-type conductivity nitrogen-doped amorphous carbon (n-C) films have been grown by surface wave microwave chemical vapor deposition (SWP-CVD) on plastic and quartz substrates. The bonding, electrical and photovoltaic properties have been studied. The Tauc plot of UV–visible measurement has shown that n-C films deposited on plastic have smaller optical band gaps compared with the films grown on quartz substrate using the same parameters. Temperature dependence and photoresponse measurements have also shown that the n-C thin films deposited on plastic have higher photoelectrical response. Our experimental results have shown that flexible polytetrafluoroethene plastic substrate is a reliable candidate for future photovoltaic applications.