Optical emission spectroscopy of the nitrogen arc in an arc-heated beam source used for synthesis of carbon nitride films

An exhaustive study of optical emission from a nitrogen arc produced by an arc-heated beam source is reported. Atomic nitrogen emission lines in the spectral region provide unequivocal evidence that the arc-heated beam source generates an appreciable flux of nitrogen atoms. Experimental results show that the ratio of [N] to increased as the arc pressure decreased. It is believed that this is because of the reduced probability of recombination of [N] atoms. Using this arc-heated beam source for pulsed laser deposition (PLD) film growth, we have synthesized carbon nitride and other nitride films with a high nitrogen content. AES and XPS results indicate that composition ratios ([N]/[C]) in the deposited films were between 0.2 and 0.6. It has been considered that [N] atoms, rather than molecules in the arc, are the most likely species responsible for the synthesis of nitride films.