Synthesis of crystalline carbon nitride thin films by laser processing at a liquid–solid interface

Abstract

Pulsed laser induced reactive quenching at a liquid–solid interface was used for the synthesis of tetrahedrally coordinated crystalline carbon nitride on a tungsten substrate. The crystalline phase was identified by transmission electron diffraction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the carbon atoms are coordinated only tetrahedrally with nitrogen—as expected for C3N4. The atomic percentage of N (considering only those atoms coordinated with C) is about 35%.