Deposition Of Diamond-like Carbon Films Research Articles

Study on Low-Temperature Deposition of Diamond-like Carbon Film on the Surface of Bionic Joint Thread and Its Properties

The double-connection structure of bionic joints of mining drill pipes has solved the problem of drill drop caused by fatigue cracks. However, with low-melting-point elastic–ductile alloy filling in the bionic joint, the thread on the joint cannot be hardened by high-temperature surface hardening treatments such as quenching and nitriding, making it prone to thread gluing or excessive wear. In this paper, the feasibility of diamond-like film deposition on the surface of a bionic drill pipe thread was studied. A tungsten transition film was used to improve the thickness of the film and the interfacial bond strength between the film and the substrate. The test results show that the total thickness of the DLC film is about 3~5 μm, the roughness is less than 2 μm, the hardness of the film reaches 24.4 GPa, the friction coefficient is 0.04, and the critical load is 56 N. SEM and EDS analyses show that the tungsten film and the bionic joint thread form a metallurgical structure. The morphology of the diamond-like carbon film is uniform and dense, and there is no obvious stratification between the substrate material. The joint with a diamond-like coating treatment has a longer service life than joints receiving conventional high-temperature nitriding treatment.

Tuning the optical, electrical, and structural properties of Cu-DLC thin films via simultaneous DC-RF unbalanced magnetron sputtering

This study evaluates the deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films with copper impurities on a glass substrate using simultaneous direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The structural, optical, electrical, and mechanical properties, as well as the surface topography of the films, were investigated under various DC power levels using Raman spectroscopy, ellipsometry, UV-VIS, I-V measurements, nanoindentation, AFM, and FESEM. Results indicate that increasing the DC power to the graphite target from 60 to 120 W, while maintaining a constant 10 W of RF power to the copper target, enhances the optical absorption coefficient of the films and increases the optical bandgap from 0.95 eV to 1.55 eV. Concurrently, the refractive index decreases from 1.84 to 1.64. Raman spectra reveal that the G peak position and the ID/IG ratio decrease, suggesting an increase in sp³ bonds relative to sp2 bonds in the film structure. The surface topography shows increased deposition power raises the surface roughness of the films. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) during deposition indicates that higher DC power reduces the relative intensity of Cu active species, leading to less Cu embedded in the film structure. Additionally, the emission spectrum shows an increase in hydrogen-containing species, suggesting a rise in sp³ C-H bonds compared to sp³ C-C bonds in the film structure.

The Influence of Deposition Temperature on the Microscopic Process of Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) Film Deposition on a 2024 Aluminum Alloy Surface

The Influence of Deposition Temperature on the Microscopic Process of Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) Film Deposition on a 2024 Aluminum Alloy Surface

Characterization of structural and mechanical properties of DLC films deposited on the surface of minute-scale 3D objects: Changes in the incident behavior of carbon ions

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have attracted great interest from the industry because they have beneficial mechanical properties such as low friction, high hardness, and wear resistance. DLC films have been used for the surface modification of various mechanical components, although many components that require surface treatments have complex three-dimensional (3D) surface structures. To date, 3D deposition of DLC films remains difficult using conventional methods. Particularly, uniform deposition technology on 3D components has not been developed for tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) films, which possess high CC sp3 bonds with high hardness. In this study, the filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) method was used to synthesize ta-C films on Si substrates placed on the sidewalls of trench-shaped and one-side tilted samples at various tilt angles and investigated their microstructure and hardness by Raman spectroscopy and nanoindentation. The results showed that the G peak position, full width at half maximum of G peak (FWHM (G)), and hardness of the ta-C film on the trench sidewall decreased as the depth from the top surface increased, similar to previous research. In contrast, ta-C films deposited on one-side tilted sample showed little depth dependence, and the film properties were determined by the tilt angle. We revealed that the film property dependence on the trench depth direction is due to the sputtered particles from the opposing trench sidewalls, resulting in graphitization of the film.

The mechanical and tribological properties of polyether ether ketone coated by diamond-like carbon film with plasma-induced transition layer

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) has been broadly utilized in aerospace due to its excellent properties. Nevertheless, when applied as sealing components in harsh environments, virgin PEEK still faces defects in mechanical behavior and wear resistance. To address these issues, the deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films has been employed as a viable solution. In this study, the DLC film with plasma-induced transition layer was fabricated on PEEK via direct current magnetron sputtering technology. Compared with previous studies, the evolutions of interfacial structures and plasma-induced layer were investigated, and their roles on the tribological performance of PEEK/DLC were analyzed in detail. Results show that an increase in etching duration promotes the formation of cauliflower pits and enhances the hardness of plasma-induced layer on PEEK, which are facilitated by high-energy plasma bombardment. When the etching time comes to 20 min, these features endow PEEK/DLC with good interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties. Besides, the cauliflower pits could fill debris and help to form graphitized transfer films. The friction coefficient and wear rate of PEEK/DLC both exhibit a declining trend as the etching duration prolongs. Notably, compared to virgin PEEK, the tribological performance of PEEK/DLC with 20-min etching displays lower friction coefficient of 0.2 and lower wear rate of 1.22 × 10−8 mm3/N·m. Finally, a wear failure mechanism for PEEK/DLC with 20-min etching was proposed. This provides a simple and effective approach to improve the tribological behavior of carbon-based films applied on PEEK, it also assists in the development of efficiently wear-resistant materials for aerospace.

Investigating different carbon-based target materials: Can we improve ionization in HiPIMS for the deposition of diamondlike carbon films?

Investigating different carbon-based target materials: Can we improve ionization in HiPIMS for the deposition of diamondlike carbon films?

Reactivity of the Ethenium Cation (C2H5+) with Ethyne (C2H2): A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study.

The gas-phase reaction between the ethyl cation (C2H5+) and ethyne (C2H2) is re-investigated by measuring absolute reactive cross sections (CSs) and branching ratios (BRs) as a function of collision energy, in the thermal and hyperthermal energy range, via tandem-guided ion beam mass spectrometry under single collision conditions. Dissociative photoionization of C2H5Br using tuneable VUV radiation in the range 10.5-14.0 eV is employed to generate C2H5+, which has also allowed us to explore the impact of increasing (vibrational) excitation on the reactivity. Reactivity experiments are complemented by theoretical calculations, at the G4 level of theory, of the relative energies and structures of the most relevant stationary points on the reactive potential energy hypersurface (PES) and by mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrometry experiments to probe the metastable decomposition from the [C4H7]+ PES and elucidate the underlying reaction mechanisms. Two main product channels have been identified at a centre-of-mass collision energy of ∼0.1 eV: (a) C3H3++CH4, with BR = 0.76±0.05 and (b) C4H5++H2, with BR = 0.22±0.02. A third channel giving C2H3+ in association with C2H4 is shown to emerge at both high internal excitation of C2H5+ and high collision energies. From CS measurements, energy-dependent total rate constants in the range 4.3×10-11-5.2×10-10 cm3·molecule-1·s-1 have been obtained. Theoretical calculations indicate that both channels stem from a common covalently bound intermediate, CH3CH2CHCH+, from which barrierless and exothermic pathways exist for the production of both cyclic c-C3H3+ and linear H2CCCH+ isomers of the main product channel. For the minor C4H5+ product, two isomers are energetically accessible: the three-member cyclic isomer c-C3H2(CH3)+ and the higher energy linear structure CH2CHCCH2+, but their formation requires multiple isomerization steps and passages via transition states lying only 0.11 eV below the reagents' energy, thus explaining the smaller BR. Results have implications for the modeling of hydrocarbon chemistry in the interstellar medium and the atmospheres of planets and satellites as well as in laboratory plasmas (e.g., plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of carbon nanotubes and diamond-like carbon films).

Effects of deposited particle energy on the structure and properties of diamond-like carbon films

Using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), a series of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were prepared on YG8 carbide substrate by changing the enhancement mode and the negative bias voltage of the substrate. The structure and properties of the deposited films were tested by a series of analytical and testing instruments.During the deposition of DLC films, the ability of electrons to collide and ionize the gas is enhanced by increasing the number of electrons and extending the movement path of electrons, which is called electron-assisted enhanced gas ionization. Four different experimental modes (A mode, B mode, C mode, D mode) were set up. Different experimental modes have different degrees of electron-assisted enhancement ability of gas ionization, so different experimental modes are called different enhancement modes. The ions ionized by the electrons participate in the deposition of the film under the traction of the negative bias voltage of the substrate. The results show that: when depositing diamond-like carbon films, the energy of the ion beam is indirectly affected by electron collisions in different enhancement modes and directly affected by the negative bias voltage of the substrate. The higher the enhancement mode, the higher the ion beam energy. The higher the substrate negative bias voltage, the higher the ion beam energy generated by gas source discharge. Under the dual action of enhancement mode and substrate negative bias voltage, the total energy of ions involved in deposition should not be too high or too low, and the synergy of the two makes the properties and quality of the deposited film reach a better value. For industrial large-scale production of tool protection film for cutting aluminum alloy, it is more suitable for high enhancement mode and low negative bias voltage production.Through a series of process optimization to improve and enhance the comprehensive performance of DLC film, it is further applied to the actual processing application field, which has great industrial and social value to realize the large-scale application of DLC film in the field of hard to cut metal processing.

Effects of power on tribological and mechanical properties of diamond-like carbon-film-modified rubber

This study aims to improve the wear resistance of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) by depositing diamond-like carbon (DLC) films using direct-current magnetron sputtering (DC-MS), a simple and cost-effective technique. DC-MS is a coating process that uses a direct current to generate an electric field and sputter conductive materials from a target to a substrate. A magnetic field enhances the plasma density and sputtering rate. This study examines the bonding force, surface morphology, tribological properties and mechanical strength of DLC. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used to characterize the cross-sectional morphology, structural features and chemical bonding species of DLC films and NBR substrates. The nanoindentation results show that varying the power has no significant effect on hardness and Young’s modulus. Tribological tests are conducted under ambient conditions using a ball-and-disk tribometer, with a fixed load of 0.3 N. The results indicate that the power of DLC films influences their tribological properties. Specifically, DLC films prepared at 120 W exhibit superior tribological properties, maintaining a stable coefficient of friction below 0.2 for the test duration. These findings have promising implications for application of DLC films.

Magnetron sputtering process for deposition of multilayered thin diamond-like carbon films with silver nanoparticles for anti-reflective coatings and refractometric sensing

Multilayered film stacks serving optical applications usually require multiple target sources for deposition. In this work, we present a convenient method for the deposition of single- and multilayered thin films with varying diamond-like carbon (DLC) and silver content employing a single magnetron in the deposition system. For this, a reactive magnetron sputtering system was utilized and the silver target was poisoned based on desired structure: clean target and argon gas resulted in a pure silver film, completely poisoned target and acetylene and argon gas resulted in a DLC film, and anything in between resulted in a nanocomposite DLC:Ag film. The films were deposited on fused quartz, crystalline silicon, and porous anodized aluminum oxide substrates. We investigated the optical properties of these films and showed their applications for anti-reflective, black-appearing coatings and refractometric sensors, both experimentally and by simulation methods.

Study on properties of diamond-like carbon films deposited by RF ICP PECVD method for micro- and optoelectronic applications

In this paper, a comparison of Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) films with different sp3 fraction content prepared by Radio Frequency Inductively Coupled Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (RF ICP PECVD) was presented. Structural, surface, optical, and mechanical properties of deposited DLC films were analyzed with the use of awide range of measurement techniques. The investigated films were deposited on silicon (Si), amorphous silica (SiO2), and metallic (Ti6Al4V) substrates at room temperature. The deposited DLC films have sp3 fraction content ranging from 35 % to 70 %, uniform, compact and dense microstructure. The investigation indicates that the properties of DLC films required for micro- and optoelectronic applications improve with the sp3 fraction content. The refractive index (n) increased from 1.976 to2.086, packaging density (PD) from 0.964 to 0.744, electrical resistivity (ρ) from 2.1 ∙ 1010 to 4.4 ∙ 1011 Ωcm, hardness (H) from 16.4 19.1 to GPa and elastic modulus (E) from 109 to 129 GPa. However, the 50 % sp3 DLC thin film exhibited the highest resistance to cracking (H3/E2 = 0.44). The decrease of Urbach energy (EU) from 0.75 to 0.46 eV was observed for the DLC film with the highest sp3 fraction content, while all investigated DLC samples had similar optical bandgap energy (Egopt ≈ 1.3 eV). The research has shown that it is possible to obtain DLC coatings using the RF ICP PECVD technique that has better properties than films deposited by the classic PECVD technique.

Effect of external magnetic field on the preparation of nitrogen-doped diamond-like carbon films

Nitrogen-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were prepared on quartz substrates and silicon wafers using the radio-frequency magnetron sputtering technique with high-purity graphite as the target material. Simultaneously, a permanent NdFeB magnet was placed on the substrate site to study the effect of an additional external magnetic field on the film growth. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the microstructure and surface morphology of the nitrogen-doped DLC films with and without additional magnetic field. The obtained results indicate that the deposited DLC films were amorphous for both conditions. The C1s and N1s core energy levels of the XPS spectrum confirmed the formation of N=C, N≡C, and N–C bonds in the films. With an increasing nitrogen flow rate, the nitrogen content of the DLC films prepared without an additional magnetic field increased. When the nitrogen flow rate was 9 sccm, the maximum nitrogen content in the film prepared without an additional magnetic field was 24.33%. However, the maximum nitrogen content in the film prepared with an additional magnetic field increased to 32.55%, at the nitrogen flow rate of 3 sccm, and the sp3/sp2 ratio reached 1.39. The SEM results showed that the surface of the nitrogen-doped DLC film was smooth, flat, and compact after the application of the additional magnetic field, and the film was closely bonded with the substrate.

Effect of pulse width on deposition of diamond-like carbon on high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering

A diamond-like carbon (DLC) film was deposited using high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering. The effect of pulse width on the deposition of DLC film was investigated under constant peak power density or average power density to clarify the densification mechanism of DLC film. The maximum hardness of 25 GPa analyzed by nanoindentation was obtained using Ar gas without negative substrate bias voltage at pulse width 30 μs and a peak power density of 1.5 kW cm−2. The flux and energy of C+ and Ar+ incident to the DLC film was evaluated by using energy-resolved and time-resolved mass spectrometry to clarify the relation between the input power to the target and the behavior of produced ions. The change in hardness is well correlated with the ion flux ratio C+/Ar+. This result indicates that a flux and energy of Ar+ as well as C+ is a key parameter to characterize the microstructure of DLC film.

Enhancing the tribological property of Mo-doped DLC films in methanol using appropriate bias voltage

Methanol is an ideal substitute fuel for oil resources, it has a wide application prospect in internal combustion engines. However, methanol has poor lubricity, resulting in increased frictional power consumption. In this study, Mo-doped diamond-like carbon (MoDLC) film deposition was performed using the magnetron sputtering method to enhance the tribological properties of DLC films in methanol. The relationship between the structure and properties of the films affected by bias voltage was systematically examined to enhance the service performance of the MoDLC coating in methanol. The results confirmed that Mo-doped DLC films exhibited considerable microstructural differences with variable bias, which further verified the performance of the film. The optimised bias voltage (600 V) resulted in the highest sp3 hybridisation bond content in the MoDLC coating, leading to the highest nano-hardness and H/E values. In addition, the 600 V treated MoDLC had a stable friction process and low wear rate (5.2 × 10−8 mm3/(N·m)) in methanol. The wear results showed that abrasive wear was dominant for MoDLC films in methanol, but oxidation wear and corrosion wear cannot be ignored for high-performance MoDLC films.

Study of the influence of a gradient gas flow as an alternative to improve the adhesion of Diamond-Like Carbon film in the wear and corrosion resistance on the nitrided AISI 4340 steel

Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) films have been widely studied due to their interesting properties, but this film presents low adhesion on metal surfaces. Interlayers have been performed, between the substrate and the DLC film, combined with previous surface treatment as plasma nitriding to improve film adhesion on the surface. This work aims to develop a multilayer treatment of nitriding, gradient treatment, and DLC film deposition without organosilicon interlayer to determine the synergic influence of treatments on multilayer adhesion, wear, and corrosion resistance of the AISI 4340 steel. Plasma surface treatments such as simple nitriding, simple DLC film deposition, which consists of treatments performed individually, multilayer treatment of nitriding + DLC with and without an organosilicon interlayer, and multilayer treatment of nitriding + gradient treatment + DLC without interlayer using gas flow gradient were carried out using a pulsed-DC power supply. The highest wear and corrosion resistance was obtained by the multilayer treatment with organosilicon interlayer due to the synergic effect of this interlayer with the DLC film and nitriding treatment, but the multilayer treatment without organosilicon interlayer performed with gas flow gradient presents better corrosion and wear properties compared with simple treatment. Results have shown that it is possible to perform multilayer treatments with the presence and the absence of an organosilicon interlayer, keeping wear, corrosion, and adhesion properties of the DLC film on nitrided AISI 4340 steel deposition.

The correlation between external magnetic field and multifractal characteristics of PLD deposited DLC films

The present study explores the application of the multifractal method in examining the surface characteristics of the diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films deposited onto substrates of silicon through a magnetically-assisted pulsed laser deposition (MAPLD) method at room temperature (RT). Multifractal spectra f(α), obtained from atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis, is adopted to investigate the surface morphology of the produced samples. The relationship between the applied magnetic field and multifractal characteristics of the obtained samples is examined as well. The findings attest to the apparent effect of the magnetic field on the quality of surface morphology and the multifractal spectrum width. Our results reveal that the root-mean-square (RMS) and average surface roughness are enhanced by applying and intensifying the magnetic field. Furthermore, the findings suggest that both the non-uniformity of the height distributions and the singularity spectrum width of the samples fabricated in this study increases with applying and intensifying the magnetic field. Further, Multifractal spectra f(α) demonstrate the multifractality nature of all the obtained samples, including conventionally and magnetically processed DLC thin films. Besides, the multifractality strength of thin films rises with increasing the magnetic field.

Simultaneous deposition of DLC film on the internal surface of multiple pipes

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) film effectively prevent the corrosion and wear of the internal surface of the pipe. However, many related reports focus on the deposition of DLC film on internal surface of single pipe, ignoring the importance of mass production. In order to improve production efficiency and achieve single mass production in the industry, it is necessary to explore the deposition technology of multiple pipes. In this paper, multiple pipes were applied with the same negative bias voltage and the high-density plasma was generated through hollow cathode plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HC-PECVD) technology. Multilayer Si-DLC films were deposited in each pipe under the same working pressure. The results show that when multiple pipes are deposited at the same time, the DLC films with high hardness (11–12 GPa), low friction coefficient (0.123–0.168), low wear rate (2.65 × 10−7–3.46 × 10−7 mm3 N−1 m−1) and low corrosion current density (more than an order of magnitude lower than SS304) are deposited in each pipe, and the DLC films on the internal surface of multiple pipes display good uniformity. The method mentioned in this study provides theoretical guidance for industrial production of DLC films on the internal surface of pipes.

Deposition of TiO2-Doped Diamond-Like Carbon Films From a New Solution and Their Characterizations

Deposition of TiO2-Doped Diamond-Like Carbon Films From a New Solution and Their Characterizations

Fabrication of nanostructured DLC coatings using anodic alumina films

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films, deposited by dry processes, such as, physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition, provide high hardness, lubricity, and wear resistance. With improvements in microfabrication technologies, tuning the microscopic surface morphology to control physical properties (such as wettability) of materials has attracted immense attention. However, the strengths of microstructures with uneven surfaces are insufficient for numerous applications. Therefore, nanoscale structures with uneven surfaces and enhanced strength were synthesized using DLC. Anodic porous alumina films with regularly aligned linear nanopores produced by anodic oxidation of Al were used as mask materials to deposit DLC films on Si substrates. Uneven structures (with uniform distributions of DLC nanoscale protrusions) were created on the substrates. Mask materials with large pore diameters and small thicknesses created DLC protrusions with large diameters and heights, respectively. The friction coefficients of nanostructured DLC surfaces with tall protrusions and normal DLC films were similar. Unevenly structured DLC surfaces were slightly more water-repellent than normal DLC films, with greater water repellency for taller protrusions. The Cassie-Baxter model was applied to analyze the surface wettability. This report describes a new, simple, and effective method of fabricating DLC nanoscale structures using anodic alumina films.

Low-Temperature Deposition of Diamond-like Carbon Films Using a Repetitive Nanosecond Pulsed Glow Discharge Plasma Operated in Burst Mode

Low-Temperature Deposition of Diamond-like Carbon Films Using a Repetitive Nanosecond Pulsed Glow Discharge Plasma Operated in Burst Mode