Fabrication and performance of flexible a-C films on terylene

Abstract

Flexible amorphous carbon (a-C) films were grown in situ on the surface of terylene substrates by continuous treatment of carbon plasma with different energies in magnetron sputtering process. The microstructure, wettability, aging properties and corrosion resistances of the as-fabricated a-C films were systematically studied. The results showed that the organic polymer carbon on the surface of substrate could transform into inorganic amorphous carbon structure induced by continuous bombardment of carbon plasma, which could be assigned as an in-situ transformation mechanism due to the injection effect of the carbon plasma. After the in-situ transformation layer, the a-C films were grown on the surface since the magnetron sputtering process could normally generate a deposition effect of carbon plasma. The flexibility of terylene substrate endowed the flexibility of the as-fabricated a-C films. The flexible a-C films could give terylene surface different colors, high hydrophobicity and good aging resistance. With the increase of the thickness of the flexible a-C film, the protective effect on the terylene surface was enhanced, which delayed the aging damage of the terylene and resulted in a more chemically stable terylene.