The effects of wear tests on the electronic structure of amorphous nitrogenated carbon (a-C:H:N) films prepared in a radiofrequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system from a mixture of methane and nitrogen have been investigated. The tribological properties were investigated with a tribometer in a ball-on-disk configuration. For different N-2 fractions, film structure and chemical composition were examined using conventional Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and also by means of high-lateral-resolution soft X-ray photoemission microscopy using synchrotron radiation. Nitrogen incorporation into the as-deposited amorphous carbon network results in an increase in the number of N-sp(2)-C bonded sites with respect to the films grown in a nitrogen-free atmosphere. The wear stability of the films was analyzed as a function of the nitrogen fraction, and a thorough description of the electronic structure was obtained in the as-deposited state and after wear testing. High-lateral-resolution photoemission microscopy reveals for the first time that inhomogeneities within the film after wear testing are correlated to nitrogen incorporation. The study of energy distribution curves and high-lateral-resolution images on the nitrogenated samples shows that a modification of the surface chemistry occurs by mechanical action. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. RI Valentini, Luca/D-5238-2011; Kenny, Jose/F-9372-2010

Spectroscopic analysis of the structure of amorphous nitrogenated carbon films after wear tests

LOZZI, Luca;SANTUCCI, Sandro
2003-01-01

Abstract

The effects of wear tests on the electronic structure of amorphous nitrogenated carbon (a-C:H:N) films prepared in a radiofrequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system from a mixture of methane and nitrogen have been investigated. The tribological properties were investigated with a tribometer in a ball-on-disk configuration. For different N-2 fractions, film structure and chemical composition were examined using conventional Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and also by means of high-lateral-resolution soft X-ray photoemission microscopy using synchrotron radiation. Nitrogen incorporation into the as-deposited amorphous carbon network results in an increase in the number of N-sp(2)-C bonded sites with respect to the films grown in a nitrogen-free atmosphere. The wear stability of the films was analyzed as a function of the nitrogen fraction, and a thorough description of the electronic structure was obtained in the as-deposited state and after wear testing. High-lateral-resolution photoemission microscopy reveals for the first time that inhomogeneities within the film after wear testing are correlated to nitrogen incorporation. The study of energy distribution curves and high-lateral-resolution images on the nitrogenated samples shows that a modification of the surface chemistry occurs by mechanical action. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. RI Valentini, Luca/D-5238-2011; Kenny, Jose/F-9372-2010
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11697/7666
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