Diamond-like Carbon Coatings Research Articles

The development of B/Cr co-doped DLC coating by FCVA deposition system and its tribological properties at 300 °C

The diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating prepared using filtered cathodic arc deposition (FCVA) lost its promising wear resistance under high temperatures. Element-doped DLC coatings have been investigated to suppress carbon oxidation reaction and subsequently enhance the wear resistance in high-temperature environments. Previous research clarified the excellent tribological properties of boron-doped DLC (B-DLC) but identified challenge such as arc discharge extinguishment and coating declamation (under high-temperature friction test). In this study, the introduction of Argon gas (10 sccm) during the deposition process stabilized stable arc discharge, resulting in high hardness and deposition rate. Moreover, a chromium interlayer and varying concentration of Cr dopant (0.5 %, 1.0 %, 3.0 % at.) were added to B-DLC to develop a stable, co-doped DLC with low friction and high wear resistance. Raman spectroscopy and nano-indentation revealed an increase in the disordered carbon structure and reduction in hardness and Young's Modulus with Cr doping. Macroscopic ball-on-disk friction test, showed 1 % Cr-doped B-DLC (a-C:B:Cr1) coating exhibited super low friction (avg. coefficient 0.02) and a low specific wear rate (<5.0 × 10−6 mm3/Nm). Raman spectroscopy indicated that the transferred graphite-like tribo-film onto the surface of Si3N4 counterparts contributed to stable low friction. Additionally, XPS analysis on the DLC coatings' wear track suggested the rich BB bond might contribute to its high wear resistance. This successful improvement on element-doped DLC prepared by FCVA provided valuable insights for further exploration of DLC coating applied to various working situations.

Enhancing sp3 formation in DLC on low thermal conductivity substrate: Interval deposition minimizing ion energy sensitivity

Depositing sp3-rich diamond-like carbon (DLC) on low thermal conductivity substrates is difficult due to the high sensitivity of sp3 formation to ion energy. This sensitivity is attributed to the heating effect of ion bombardment during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processing. This study introduced an interval deposition method aimed at minimizing the ion energy sensitivity, thereby achieving sp3-rich DLC deposition and broadening the process window. The variation in sp3 content of deposited DLC showed that the interval deposition can enhance sp3 formation, which is particularly significant when the single deposition duration is ≤1 s and the ratio of interval duration to deposition duration is ≥3. Deposition experiments with varying bias voltages confirmed that the ion energy sensitivity of sp3 formation in DLC can be effectively reduced by the proposed method. The analysis of transient film temperature during the deposition process revealed that this method took effect by limiting the temperature elevation of the film. Performance comparison showed that the adhesion of films to the substrate was improved by 138 % using the interval deposition method, compared to the traditional continuous deposition. This user-friendly and high-tolerance deposition method can significantly advance the application fields of DLC coatings.

Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) Coatings : Classification, Properties, and Applications

This paper presents the most recent and important research trends on the friction and wear properties of diamond like carbon (DLC) coatings deposited on different types of materials. For this the invention, methods, techniques, and design related to this area are discussed. The different trends of tribological properties of materials under different operating conditions are observed. In this article, an attempt is made to provide an opportunity for the future researchers to identify the recent trend of these areas. It is expected that the applications of these results will contribute to the improvement of different concerned mechanical processes. This review article also includes some patents relevant to the method of producing a DLC film.

Enhanced Long-Term Corrosion Resistance of 316L Stainless Steel by Multilayer Amorphous Carbon Coatings.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are effective in protecting the key components of marine equipment and can greatly improve their short-term performance (1.5~4.5 h). However, the lack of investigation into their long-term (more than 200 h) performance cannot meet the service life requirements of marine equipment. Here, three multilayered DLC coatings, namely Ti/DLC, TiCx/DLC, and Ti-TiCx/DLC, were prepared, and their long-term corrosion resistance was investigated. Results showed that the corrosion current density of all DLC coatings was reduced by 1-2 orders of magnitude compared with bare 316L stainless steel (316Lss). Moreover, under long-term (63 days) immersion in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, all DLC coatings could provide excellent long-term corrosion protection for 316Lss, and Ti-TiCx/DLC depicted the best corrosion resistance; the polarization resistances remained at ~3.0 × 107 Ω·cm2 after immersion for 63 days, with more interfaces to hinder the penetration of the corrosive media. Meanwhile, during neutral salt spray (3000 h), the corrosion resistance of Ti/DLC and TiCx/DLC coatings showed a certain degree of improvement because the insoluble corrosion products at the defects blocked the subsequent corrosion. This study can provide a route to designing amorphous carbon protective coatings for long-term marine applications in different environments.

Understanding DLC system failure influenced by progressed wear

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are among the toughest and most effective measures for preventing wear on critical surfaces. Due to its high wear resistance, the deterioration of the protective coating only occurs upon failure. Understanding the events leading to failure and identifying a mild-abrasive wear process is crucial for sustainable application. We implemented a ‘Wöhler-like’ test matrix on a tribometer with oscillating tribocontact, employing radioactive isotopes for continuous wear measurements. This method allows to analyse the relationship between load and cycling or test time. When combined with friction coefficient changes, it enables the distinction between mild and severe wear, ultimately pinpointing the point of DLC deterioration. This approach was employed to compare different diesel lubricants, and its effectiveness was demonstrated. The relationship between loading condition and remaining DLC thickness illustrates that mild-abrasive wear is the critical factor for DLC lifetime, ultimately leading to coating system failure.

Synergistic effect of graphene and nanodiamonds to achieve ultra-low friction on rough DLC coatings

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) with its protective, antiwear and self-lubricant properties represents an outstanding coating material to improve the tribological performance of bare metal-to-metal contacts. The DLC friction response is strictly related to the generation of a carbon-rich transfer layer on the sliding countersurfaces. This key process may benefit from the DLC surface functionalization with carbon nanomaterials, as attested by the recent observation of wearless sliding and ultra-low friction for nanorough model interfaces. In this study, we show by ball-on-disc tribometer that the tribological response of microrough steel-DLC contacts is considerably improved in dry atmosphere through DLC functionalization with graphene sheets (GSs) and nanodiamonds (NDs). The functionalization effectiveness is demonstrated exclusively with both allotropic forms, that synergically lower friction after a unique run-in period. We attribute the enhanced lubricity, with steady coefficient of friction <0.05 at 1 N load, to the formation of a transfer layer which incorporates GSs, NDs and nanoscroll structures self-assembled during sliding. High-resolution electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy indicate that NDs, besides enabling the erosion of the highest interfacial micro-asperities, do assist the transfer layer development via GSs milling. Our findings contribute to the current quest for superlubricity in realistic tribocontacts meeting industrial standards.

Study on properties of diamond-like carbon coatings based on COMSOL

Comsol software was used to design and simulate the preparation of DLC coating on 316 stainless steel substrate by vacuum evaporation plating method. The influence of evaporation temperature on coating quality was explored by controlling substrate temperature factors, and the corrosion resistance of DLC was simulated. The simulation coating preparation results showed the surface distribution of the DLC coating prepared by vacuum evaporation is uneven, and the thickest core becomes thinner layer by layer along the periphery. Under the same conditions, the higher the evaporation temperature is, the better the coating quality is. The corrosion behavior of DLC coating over time was studied by simulating the corrosion of DLC coating in the human body environment. The simulation corrosion results showed that the corrosion rate of DLC coating in the human body environment was slow, and the corrosion rate of the metal matrix was significantly higher than that of DLC coating.

Optimization of the Regimes of Obtaining Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings with High Performance Characteristics by The Laser-Plasma Method

Optimization of the Regimes of Obtaining Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings with High Performance Characteristics by The Laser-Plasma Method

Cu-O-Si-C interface-induced high-adhesion and anticorrosion of the DLC coatings on inner wall of copper tube prepared by PECVD

Deposition of well-adherent diamond-like‑carbon (DLC) films on copper is relatively difficult due to weak bonds between copper and carbon. The Cu-O-Si-C nanostructure was proposed to improve the adhesion and the corrosion-resistance of multilayer Si-DLC/DLC film on an inner surface of copper tube prepared by PECVD. First, the copper alloy was pretreated by oxygen. Then mixture gas of tetramethylhexylsilane (TMS) and oxygen was used to deposit interlayer, and finally multilayer Si-DLC/DLC film was deposited using the gas C2H2 and argon. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) demonstrated that there existed CuSiO3, CuO, SiC, SiO2 nanostructures in the interlayer. And X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) proved that there were actually CuO, SiC and SiO bonds at the interface. These bonds and compounds enhanced the adhesion between multilayer Si-DLC/DLC film and copper substrate. The polarization potential was significantly improved to −0.07 V, achieved through the process of oxygen pre-implantation and the combined deposition of oxygen and TMS. Furthermore, the adhesion of the film was estimated by the Rockwell test and reached HF1-HF2. The Cu-O-Si-C microstructure plays a crucial role in enhancing the adhesion and corrosion resistance of multilayer Si-DLC/DLC film.

Bias voltage-induced structural change in PECVD-deposited diamond-like carbon coatings for optimizing the tribological performance

To improve the adhesion strength and enhance the wear resistance of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, different negative bias voltages were utilized to deposit a-Si:C:H/H-DLC/DLC composite coatings on the 45 steel substrates using direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technology. Influences of negative bias voltages on the surface morphology, microstructure, mechanical properties, and tribological performance were investigated. The results showed that as the bias voltages increased from −400 V to −600 V, the surface roughness and thickness of the coatings increased, reaching a maximum roughness of 0.426 μm and a maximum total thickness of 9.9 μm. Raman data illustrated the decrease of hydrogen contents and the increase in sp3 bonds content, matching well with the increasing hardness and elastic modulus. The residual stress tended to increase as the bias voltages, while the adhesion strength reached the maximum value of 62.45 ± 2.65 N at −550 V. Under the synergistic effects of surface roughness, interfacial adhesion strength, hardness and elastic modulus, the average friction coefficient and wear rate of the coatings initially decreased and then increased, reaching the best tribological performance at −550 V.

Highly radiation-stable DLC coatings for a new class of detectors: Structural and morphological features

Within the framework of the FTM-NEXT INFN (Fast Time Micropattern gaseous detectors - next of Nuclear Physics National Institute) experiment, we produced hydrogen-free diamond-like carbon films through pulsed-laser deposition to serve as resistive layers in modern resistive micro-pattern gaseous detectors that must work in extreme radiation environments at future colliders. To obtain homogeneous diamond-like carbon coatings, over medium-to-large size (3 cm × 3 cm), with excellent adhesion to the substrate and with typical surface resistivity values in the range of 1–100 MOhm/sq, growth conditions had to be optimized. In this paper we report on the stability of resistive diamond-like carbon layers subjected to increasing doses of irradiation with proton beams accelerated to an energy of 2 MeV. The morphological, structural, and electrical properties, also at the nanoscale level, of diamond-like carbon coatings following ion irradiation were studied by electron microscopy, electron diffraction, electrical transport characterization and scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

Surface Depassivation via B-O Dative Bonds Affects the Friction Performance of B-Doped Carbon Coatings.

Boron doping of diamond-like carbon coatings has multiple effects on their tribological properties. While boron typically reduces wear in cutting applications, some B-doped coatings show poor tribological performance compared with undoped films. This is the case of the tribological tests presented in this work in which an alumina ball is placed in frictional contact with different undoped and B-doped amorphous carbon coatings in humid air. With B-doped coatings, a higher friction coefficient at a steady state with respect to their undoped counterparts was observed. Estimates of the average contact shear stress based on experimental friction coefficients, surface topographies, and Persson's contact theory suggest that the increased friction is compatible with the formation of a sparse network of interfacial ether bonds leading to a mild cold-welding friction regime, as documented in the literature. Tight binding and density functional theory simulations were performed to investigate the chemical effect of B-doping on the interfacial properties of the carbon coatings. The results reveal that OH groups that normally passivate carbon surfaces in humid environments can be activated by boron and form B-O dative bonds across the tribological interfaces, leading to a mild cold-welding friction regime. Simulations performed on different tribological pairs suggest that this mechanism could be valid for B-doped carbon surfaces in contact with a variety of materials. In general, this study highlights the impact that subtle modifications in surface and interface chemistry caused by the presence of impurities can have on macroscopic properties, such as friction and wear.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating on graphite: Investigating the achievement of maximum wear properties using the PECVD method

Considering the potential for morphological changes and the adjustment of the sp3/sp2 ratio in diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, and consequently the possibility of adjusting the properties of self-lubricating, hardness, and wear of these coatings, the present study investigates the effect of varying the power applied during the deposition of coatings using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. Raman spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), nanoindentation, wear, and wear depth tests were employed for this purpose. The results obtained from the Raman spectroscopy indicated that the percentage of sp3 hybridization, as well as the amount of internal stress, increased with the higher applied power of the coating. AFM results also reveal an increase in surface roughness with increasing applied power, and FESEM results indicate a reduction in the diameter of DLC grains with increasing applied power. Moreover, the alternating increase in hardness and modulus of elasticity, along with a decrease in friction coefficient and wear depth, are among the other effects of increasing the applied power. Therefore, the results of this research suggest an enhancement in the tribological properties of the applied coating at higher powers (up to 250 W).

Optimized Tribological Performance of Nitrogen-Doped Diamond-like Carbon Films on NBR: Influence of Bias Voltage of DC Magnetron Sputtering.

In this research, nitrogen-doped diamond-like carbon (N-DLC) coatings were deposited on Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) substrates using direct current magnetron sputtering (DC-MS) under varying bias voltages. This study aimed to explore environmentally friendly, low-wear, and non-lubricating seal coatings to enhance the durability of rubber sealing products, which predominantly operate under dynamic sliding conditions. By reducing the coefficient of friction (CoF), the friction and wear on rubber products can be significantly minimized, extending their lifespan. This investigation thoroughly examined the microstructure, mechanical properties, and tribological behavior of the N-DLC films. Among the coatings, the one produced at a bias voltage of -50 V demonstrated superior hardness, elastic modulus, and the lowest CoF in comparison to those prepared with 0, -100, and -200 bias voltages. This optimal combination of properties resulted in an exceptionally low wear rate of 10-9 for the film deposited at -50 V, indicating its outstanding wear resistance.

Evaluation of the performance of DLC Coatings (ta-C) of WC-Co tools while machining Al7075 alloy

This study investigates the performance of DLC-coated 3-flute Ø 12 mm WC-Co (10%) end mills in the high-speed machining (226 m/min) of Al7075 Aluminum alloy, with high-pressure (20 bar) cooling applied in all tests focused on the cutting zone. Rolled blocks with dimensions of 150 × 350 × 150 mm were used as workpiece material. Slot milling was preferred as a test method for machining tests. Each end mill machined 757 slots with a length of 350 mm at a depth of 3 mm, and a total volume of 9150 cm3 was removed with each tool. In total, three groups of endmills were tested. A1 is a specially designed endmill for aluminum machining and was tested in an uncoated state, while A2 has the exact same geometry as A1 and was coated with tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), which is a form of Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating. Finally, the A3 endmill was tested as an industrial comparative designed for aluminum machining, which was also ta-C coated. Performance tests have shown that ta-C coating significantly prevented the formation of the built-up edge. In addition, it reduced the average bending moment on the tool by 20%–25% by acting as a lubricant. It has been observed that DLC coating reduces tool wear. It was determined that flank wear was reduced by 28% and rake wear by approximately 58% in the A2 tool compared to the uncoated tool. The DLC-coated tools also provided smaller chips and improved chip control.

Properties of Diamond-like Tungsten-Doped Carbon Coatings Lubricated with Cutting Fluid

Properties of Diamond-like Tungsten-Doped Carbon Coatings Lubricated with Cutting Fluid

Scratch hardness of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings deposited by closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering

Thin coatings are subject to scratch and wear damage in tribological applications. Scratch hardness numbers are used to evaluate scratch and abrasive wear resistance. Few studies have measured the scratch hardness of thin films, and a proper scratch hardness measurement method for thin coatings is still lacking. In this study, the scratch hardness of these DLC coatings was measured at both micro-scale and nano-scale, respectively. The micro-scratch test using a 200 µm tip is an inapplicable method because the substrate effect has dominated the scratch hardness measurement. On the other hand, a nano-scratch hardness test using a sharper tip is an effective method to measure the scratch hardness of thin coatings. Although the scratch hardness introduces a lateral force compared with the indentation hardness, it well correlates with the nano-indentation hardness. The ratio of the scratch hardness to the indentation hardness is close to 1 for DLC coatings due to the amorphous structure. It proves that the tangential force induced by scratching does not influence the hardness property. In addition, a simple approach is proposed to obtain the scratch hardness of DLC coatings qualitatively without width measurement.

Tribocorrosion studies on DLC films with silver nanoparticles for prosthesis applications

Metals and their alloys are very important for orthopedic applications, and the basic requirements for a successful implant are chemical stability, mechanical behavior, and biocompatibility in body fluids and tissues. For prosthesis applications, the corrosion resistance of metals is one of the major prerequisites to avoid impairment of the material properties due to degradation. The combined action of corrosion and wear on the material is called tribocorrosion and DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) films have been extensively studied to increase prosthesis biocompatibility and to protect from corrosion. Additionally, DLC coatings can prevent the prosthesis to release toxic elements due to plastic deformation and corrosion. This paper is about tribocorrosion studies on DLC and DLC-Ag (DLC containing silver nanoparticles) on Ti-6Al-4V substrates. These films were obtained by PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) using hexane as a precursor. The tribocorrosion behavior of uncoated and coated samples was investigated in the reciprocating mode in Ringer’s lactate solution. From the polarization test results, the protective efficiency of the film was calculated. Silver nanoparticles improved the corrosion resistance of the films. The protective efficiency was 15 and 19% for DLC and DLC-Ag films, respectively.

Effect of deposition temperature on the tribo-mechanical properties of nitrogen doped DLC thin film

The tribomechanical characteristics of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are notably superior to other hard coatings, making them highly desirable for industrial applications. This study focuses on the synthesis of nitrogen-doped DLC (N-DLC) films through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods, with an emphasis on varying the deposition temperature. Comprehensive characterization techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nanoindentation were employed to investigate the morphological and mechanical attributes of these coatings. The thickness of the films, measured using a Dektak profilometer, demonstrated an increase from 1.9 to 2.8 µm as the deposition temperature rose. Nanoindentation testing revealed that the film deposited at 900°C exhibited the highest hardness (H) and modulus of elasticity (E), measuring 21.95 and 208.3 GPa, respectively. Conversely, the film deposited at 1,000°C showed the lowest values, with H and E at 14.23a and 141.9 GPa, respectively. The H/E ratio of the coatings initially rose from 0.096 to 0.106 as the deposition temperature increased from 800°C to 900°C. However, for deposition temperatures exceeding 900°C the H/E ratio began to decline.

Tensile testing as alternative evaluation method for enhanced adhesion of diamond-like carbon coatings with different titanium buffer layers

A tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) is widely used in industrial environments. However, application in extreme environments requires improved interfacial adhesion strength. This study proposes a new method to determine the adhesion strength of ta-C coating using the microtensile test, which is applied to improve the adhesion strength of ta-C coating by varying the Ti buffer layer microstructure. The tensile properties recorded in the stress-strain curve can be used to determine the difference between the absorbed energy and resistance to plastic deformation, which is then used to calculate fracture toughness. Moreover, to determine the adhesion strength, the crack density and spallation size were evaluated by measuring the cracks on the slip surface. The results show that compared to the columnar Ti buffer layer microstructure, the ta-C coating with a dense and flat Ti buffer layer microstructure more effectively improved the composite mechanical properties (columnar Ti layer H = ∼39 GPa, E = ∼430 GPa; dense Ti layer H = ∼48 GPa, E = ∼468 GPa), crack resistance (crack density = 6.4 % on columnar Ti layer; 1.5 % on dense Ti layer) and increased the dissipation energy during plastic deformation. Additionally, the dense Ti buffer layer microstructure reduced the wear rate (3.1 × 10−7 mm3/N∙m) and inhibited crack generation under long-term continuous frictional contact due to stress release in the ta-C coating. This finding clarifies the importance of the buffer layer with the suggested microstructural modifications for the wear resistance of ta-C coating.