Agradecimentos: This work was partially sponsored by Fapesp, project 05-53926-1. This work is part of the PP PhD thesis. PP is a CAPES fellow. MEHMC and FA are CNPq fellows. The authors are grateful to C.A. Piacenti for his technical assistance. To J. Bettini, D. Biggemann, for the TEM measurements support. To V. Pimentel for the AFM measurements help and I. Horcas for the support on WSxM 4.0 Software, Nanotec Electronica S.L. The TEM and AFM were performed at the LNLS, Campinas, Brazil Ver menos

Abstract: The synthesis and properties of fullerene-like carbon materials containing nitrogen deposited by ion beam sputtering in a high-vacuum chamber are reported. The samples are grown on Si substrate by sequentially depositing a titanium nitride thin film, nanometric nickel particles, and carbon. The carbon nanostructured samples were prepared by sputtering a carbon target in nitrogen and helium-nitrogen atmospheres. The effect of the noble gas on the nanostructure formation is reported. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy performed in an ultra high-vacuum chamber, attached to the deposition system, reveals the incorporation of nitrogen in the carbon layer coating the nickel particles. Atomic force microscopy shows dome-like shaped structures. Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy show multi-wall graphenes covering the nickel particles. The field emission properties of the structures are reported Ver menos