Grey fuzzy logic approach for the optimization of DLC thin film coating process parameters using PACVD technique

Abstract

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are widely used in medical, manufacturing and aerospace industries due to their excellent mechanical, biological, optical and tribological properties. The selection of optimal process parameters for efficient characteristics of DLC film is always a challenging issue for the materials science researchers. The optimal combination of the process parameters involved in the deposition of DLC films provide a better result, which subsequently help other researchers to choose the process parameters. In the present work Grey Relation Analysis (GRA) and Fuzzy-logic are being used for the optimization of process parameters in DLC film coating by using plasma assist chemical vapour deposition (PACVD) technique. The bias voltage, bias frequency, deposition pressure, gas composition are considered as input process parameters and hardness (GPa), Young's modulus (GPa), ratio between diamond to graphic fraction, (Id/Ig) ratio are considered as response parameters. The input parameters are optimized by grey fuzzy analysis. The contribution of individual input parameter is done by ANOVA. In this analysis found that bias voltage having the least influence and gas composition has highest influence in the PACVD deposited DLC films. The grey fuzzy analysis results indicated that optimum results for bias voltage, bias frequency, deposition pressure, gas composition for the DLC thin films are -50 V, 6 kHz, 4 μbar and 60:40 % respectively.