INTRODUCTION
Recently, a new compound carbon nitride (CNx) has captured the attention of materials scientists, resulting from the prediction of a metastable crystal structure β-C3N4. Calculations showed that the mechanical properties of β-C3N4 are close to those of diamond. Various methods, including high pressure synthesis, ion beam deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhanced evaporation, and reactive sputtering, have been used in an attempt to make this compound. In this paper, we present the results of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analysis of composition and bonding structure of CNX films deposited by two different methods.SPECIMEN PREPARATION
Specimens were prepared by arc-discharge evaporation and reactive sputtering. The apparatus for evaporation is similar to the traditional setup of vacuum arc-discharge evaporation, but working in a 0.05 torr ambient of nitrogen or ammonia. A bias was applied between the carbon source and the substrate in order to generate more ions and electrons and change their energy. During deposition, this bias causes a secondary discharge between the source and the substrate.
Measurement of the expansion velocity of the plasma high-current vacuum arc discharge
