Amorphous boron containing silicon carbo-nitrides created by ion sputtering

Silicon carbo-nitride films with Boron were deposited onto Silicon, glass and SS304 Stainless Steel substrates using the ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) method. The coating composition, rate of ion-assistance and substrate temperature were varied. Films were examined by X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-Ray analysis, Cathodoluminescence, Atomic Force Microscopy and Nano-indentation. The composition and chemical bonding variation was found to be dependent on deposition conditions. All coatings were amorphous, fully dense and showed high hardness up to 33GPa. It is suggested that the low friction coefficient of about 0.3, measured against Al₂O₃ using the pin-on-disc method, may be the result of the presence of C nanoclusters which are formed under the low energy deposition conditions. Films deposited on Stainless Steel had an onset of rapid thermal oxidation at 1150°C in air as determined by thermogravimetric analysis. The films have a Tauc bandgap between 2.2 and 2.8eV and were also exceptionally high electrical resistive which may indicate the presence of localised states.