Possibility of carbon nitride formation by low-energy nitrogen implantation into graphite: In situ electron spectroscopy studies

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Abstract
The possibility of carbon nitride formation by low‐energy nitrogen ion irradiation of graphite was investigated by in situ x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Room‐temperature and hot 500‐eV N+2 implantations were performed with saturation doses for which a constant nitrogen concentration was obtained. Analysis of the N(1s) core level line indicates the existence of three different carbon–nitrogen bonding states in the room‐temperature implanted layer. Annealing experiments up to 500 °C revealed a slight, gradual decrease of nitrogen concentration in the implanted layer accompanied by a partial redistribution of the nitrogen bonding states. Hot nitrogen implantations at 300 and 500 °C resulted in a predominant population of the more covalent, with higher N(1s) binding energy, nitrogen bonding state. Such a distribution of carbon–nitrogen chemical bonds could not have been obtained by annealing of the room‐temperature implanted layer. These results may be of importance in finding a way to produce the elusive β‐C3N4 phase by ion beam assisted deposition.