Preparation And Characteristics Of B-C-N Films By RF Magnetron Sputtering

By changing processing parameters, including sputtering power of graphite target, temperature, bias voltage and gas flow rate, amorphous B-C-N thin films were synthesized on silicon substrate via RF magnetron sputtering and Carbon target and CH4 gas were used as sputtering original source, respectively. The structure, morphology, film thickness, and hardness of B-C-N films were measured by FTIR, AFM, XRD, steps instrument and nanoindentation. In this study, our main work is as follows:(1) Whether Carbon target and CH4 gas were used as sputtering original source, FTIR spectra reveal that all these synthesized B-C-N films are atomic-level hybrids composed of B, C and N atoms. Through the analysis conclude, when carbon source is graphite target, various chemical bonds can be enhanced by increasing the sputtering power of graphite target or increasing the substrate temperature; when carbon source is CH4 gas, various chemical bonds can also be enhanced by increasing CH4 flow.(2) FTIR spectra show that all the samples are atomic-level compounds which were composed of B, C and N atoms. From the results, when carbon source is graphite target, chemical bonds enhanced as increasing the sputtering power of graphite target or substrate temperature; when carbon source is CH4 gas, surface morphology of B-C-N thin films become better and better by increasing CH4 flow.(3) Steps instrument curve reveal change rule of film thickness by adjusting a series of experimental parameters when Carbon target and CH4 gas were used as sputtering original source, respectively.(4) The results of nano-indentation tests indicated that the hardness of as-deposited B-C-N thin film has slightly increased, although the deposition substrates have been pretreated for abrasion.