Highly Conductive Carbon-Based Thin Films Produced by Low-Energy Electron Irradiation

Highly conductive carbon-based thin films have been produced by low-energy electron irradiation. Low-energy electron irradiation at a lower density of electrons eliminates the sp³ hybridization of the carbon atoms by reducing the chemical groups on the surface. Irradiated carbon-based thin films became highly conductive layers that could be used as electrodes for optoelectronic devices. The electrical conductivity σ reached 3 × 10⁴ S/m in the case of samples irradiated at a lower density, with a mean value between 3 × 10⁵ S/m and 3.3 × 10² S/m for highly crystalline graphite structures. The increasing (002) peak diffraction and decreasing intensity ratio I_D/I_G in the Raman spectra as well as the decreasing bandgap in photoluminescence measurements demonstrated the reduction of oxygen-induced defects in these thin films.