This paper reviews x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies on carbon nitride (CN) and reports on results obtained from CN thin films prepared by mass selected ion-beam deposition. The core-level spectra of samples deposited at room temperature show that nitrogen is incorporated into the amorphous network in two different bonding configurations; carbon has three main bonding configurations whose relative contributions vary as a function of the nitrogen content. For samples deposited at elevated temperatures an ordering of the amorphous CN network towards a crystalline graphitelike structure is observed. Furthermore, both deposition at elevated temperatures (350 °C) and post-deposition ion irradiation have a strong influence on the bonding configuration in the CN films. Based on these results and the results reported in the reviewed literature a picture of the microstructure of carbon nitride deposited using energetic species is developed.

• Received 20 October 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.58.2207