Structural-phase composition and tribological characteristics of fullerenes containing carbonic coatings obtained using high-power ion beams

Abstract

Thin carbon film fullerene-containing coatings were formed by deposition on silicon substrates of ablation plasma, which was generated as a result of high-power pulsed ion beam (HPPIB) interaction with graphite targets of different densities. Relative amounts of crystalline phases of fullerenes C 60, C 70, diamond-like carbon (DLC) as well as the carbon amorphous phase with relative DLC in it, were determined. It is shown that, the relative amount of carbon amorphous phase, the ratio between a quantity of fullerenes C 60:C 70, as well as the amount of DLC in crystalline and amorphous phases critically depend on coating deposition conditions. They are the following: energy densities of the ion beam coming to the graphite target, which, in turn, determines the density and temperature of ablation plasma; and coating deposition rate, which is the film thickness for one pulse of the ion current. Parameters of deposited coatings such as nano-hardness, Young's modulus, adhesion, friction coefficient and roughness were measured.