Abstract

Polarization dependent studies of near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) show evidence for the presence of aligned pi-bonded carbon structures and the formation of a nonplanar CN phase in tetrahedral amorphous nitrogenated carbon (ta-CN) films deposited at room temperature. Moreover, the analysis of NEXAFS data as a function of nitrogen concentration and annealing temperature leads to a comprehensive assignment of the local CN bonding configurations in these ta-CN films and suggests an unusual and almost thermally stable nitrogenated carbon structure. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.