Enhanced Wettability, Hardness, and Tunable Optical Properties of SiCN Coatings Formed by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering.

Silicon carbonitride films were deposited on Si (100), Ge (111), and fused silica substrates through the reactive magnetron sputtering of a SiC target in an argon-nitrogen mixture. The deposition was carried out at room temperature and 300 °C and at an RF target power of 50-150 W. An increase in the nitrogen flow rate leads to the formation of bonds between silicon and carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms and to the formation of SiCN layers.