Abstract

Electron energy loss spectroscopy is used to analyse the structure of a CN_X thin film deposited on a Si (001) substrate, held at 500°C, by reactive magnetron sputtering. The elemental composition is determined to ~20 at% nitrogen. From the near edge spectra of the carbon K edge a sp² contents of ~53 % could be estimated. In the Extended Energy Loss Fine Structure analysis an unusually broad and intense peak was found in the RDF at ~8.8 Å. This peak is regarded as evidence of some large scale spherical structures also seen in the High Resolution Electron Microscopy micrographs.

© 1995 Optical Society of America