New application perspective for tetrahedral amorphous carbon coatings

Abstract

Presently various carbon-based materials are used to achieve different surface functions and coatings for anti-corrosion and electrochemical application. These are in the form of homogeneous composite materials and chemically modified polymers, with many patent pending in this field. However, association of performing anticorrosion, adherence crosslinking and hydrophobic solutions with other surface functions are more often required, including additional simultaneous tribologic, antiwear, electrochemical, optical and optoelectronic properties. Among the wide range of diamond-like and related coating materials, tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), combines many interesting, simultaneous and superior material properties compared with first generation hard carbon coatings. Especially when ta-C can be modified and adapted for its properties to a specific application by doping with multilayer and gradient configuration, thus offering many new and interesting perspectives of application. We review and discuss common coatings, by comparison and deduction. The corresponding updated and recently developed fundamentals are also considered to show the potential for better performing and up-scaled anti-corrosion and electrochemical solutions.