Abstract
The doping effect of silver on the structure and properties of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films was investigated. The samples were prepared by a process combining acetylene plasma source ion implantation (high-voltage pulses of −10 kV) with reactive magnetron sputtering of an Ag disc. A mixture of two gases, argon, and acetylene was introduced into the discharge chamber as working gas for plasma formation. A negative high-voltage pulse was applied to the substrate holder, thus, accelerating ions towards the substrate. The chemical composition of the deposited films was modified by the respective gas flows and determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The silver concentration within the DLC films influenced the structure and the tribological properties. The surface roughness, as observed by scanning electron microscopy, increased with silver concentration. The film structure was characterized by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The DLC films were mainly amorphous, containing crystalline silver, with the amount of silver depending on the process conditions. The tribological properties of the films were improved by the silver doping. The lowest friction coefficient of around 0.06 was derived at a low silver content.
Highlights
Plasma source ion implantation (PSII) is a simple but effective ion implantation and deposition method for surface modification of materials [1,2,3]
We have reported on the plasma source implantation of sputtered Ni ions into materials and the effects of metal (Ti, Ta, Fe, Co, Ni, Mo, and W) incorporation into diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on the composition, structure, and phase formation [12, 13, 22]
Silver-containing DLC films were successfully prepared by a process combining reactive magnetron sputtering with plasma source ion implantation
Summary
Plasma source ion implantation (PSII) is a simple but effective ion implantation and deposition method for surface modification of materials [1,2,3]. The ions from the plasma forming gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, or hydrocarbons are implanted into the substrate surface This has been reported to improve several parameters such as hardness, adhesion, friction coefficient, and wear properties [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. The incorporation of other elements into the DLC films offers the possibility to modify the properties of the DLC films This is feasible by a combined process. We have reported on the plasma source implantation of sputtered Ni ions into materials and the effects of metal (Ti, Ta, Fe, Co, Ni, Mo, and W) incorporation into DLC films on the composition, structure, and phase formation [12, 13, 22]. The influence of the silver content in DLC films prepared by a combined magnetron sputtering and PSII process on the structure, surface roughness, and tribological properties of the films is discussed
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