Amorphous carbon

The properties of various types of amorphous carbon and hydrogenated amorphous carbon are reviewed with particular emphasis on the effect of atomic structure on the electronic structure. It is shown how the proportion of sp³ and sp² sites not only defines the short-range order but also a substantial medium-range order. Medium-range order is particularly important in amorphous carbon because it is the source of its optical gap, whereas short-range order is usually sufficient to guarantee a gap in other amorphous semiconductors. The review discusses the following properties: short-range order and the radial distribution function, the infrared and Raman spectra, mechanical strength, the electronic structure, photoemission spectra, optical properties, electron energy-loss spectra, core-level excitation spectra, electrical conductivity, electronic defects and the electronic doping of hydrogenated amorphous carbon.