Influence of disorder on localization and density of states in amorphous carbon nitride thin films systems rich in π-bonded carbon atoms.

We discuss in this paper the evolution of both the density of states (DOS) located between the band-tail states and the DOS around the Fermi level N(EF) in amorphous carbon nitride films (a-CNx) as a function of the total nitrogen partial pressure ratio in the Ar/N2 plasma mixture. The films were deposited by three different deposition techniques and their microstructure was characterized using a combination of infrared and Raman spectroscopy and optical transmission experiments, completed with electrical conductivity measurements, as a function of temperature. The observed changes in the optoelectronic properties are attributed to the modification in the atomic bonding structures, which were induced by N incorporation, accompanied by an increase in the sp2 carbon bonding configurations and their relative disorder. The electrical conductivity variation was interpreted in terms of local effects on the nature and energy distribution of π and π* states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]