Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T07:46:43.723Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Properties of hydrogenated DLC films as prepared by a combined method of plasma source ion implantation and unbalanced magnetron sputtering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2011

Stefan Flege ,
Ruriko Hatada ,
Wolfgang Ensinger  and
Koumei Baba
Stefan Flege*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Ruriko Hatada
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Wolfgang Ensinger
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Koumei Baba
Affiliation:
Applied Technology Division, Industrial Technology Center of Nagasaki, Omura, Nagasaki 856-0026, Japan
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: flege@ca.tu-darmstadt.de
Get access

Abstract

Unbalanced magnetron sputtering (UBMS) is suitable for the preparation of hard and hydrogen-free diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. Since those films generally suffer from internal stresses and bad adhesion, the addition of a methane source offers two advantages: (i) the control of the film properties by variation of the hydrogen content and (ii) a pretreatment of methane plasma source ion implantation (PSII), which results in a gradient carbon layer within the substrates, ensuring the adhesion of the subsequently deposited DLC films. PSII and UBMS were combined to prepare DLC films on stainless steel substrates and silicon wafers. Different amounts of methane were added to the working gas, argon, to investigate the effect of the hydrogen content on the film properties, i.e., hardness, adhesion, and friction coefficient. Composition and chemical structure of the films were investigated by depth profiling (secondary-ion mass spectrometry) and Raman spectroscopy. Smooth adhesive films could be obtained with the lowest friction coefficient for small additions of methane as a hydrogen source during the sputtering process.

Keywords

Ion implantationSputtering
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 27 , Issue 5: Focus Issue: Plasma and Ion-Beam Assisted Materials Processing , 14 March 2012 , pp. 845 - 849
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Sridharan, K. and Sundaram, V.: Diamond-like carbon coatings for tribological applications, in Plasma Surface Engineering Research and its Practical Applications, edited by Wei, R. (Research Signpost, Trivandrum, India, 2008), p. 247.Google Scholar
2.Grill, A., Patel, V., and Meyerson, B.: Tribological behavior of diamond-like carbon: Effects of preparation conditions and annealing. Surf. Coat. Technol. 49, 530 (1991).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Deng, J. and Braun, M.: Residual stress and microhardness of DLC multilayer coatings. Diamond Relat. Mater. 5, 478 (1996).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Ronkainen, H., Varjus, S., Koskinen, J., and Holmberg, K.: Differentiating the tribological performance of hydrogenated and hydrogen-free DLC coatings. Wear 249, 260 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Erdemir, A., Eryilmaz, O.L., and Fenske, G.: Synthesis of diamondlike-carbon films with superlow friction and wear properties. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 18(4), 1987 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Erdemir, A., Eryilmaz, O.L., Nilufer, I.B., and Fenske, G.R.: Synthesis of superlow-friction carbon films from highly hydrogenated methane plasmas. Surf. Coat. Technol. 133–134, 448 (2000).Google Scholar
7.Erdemir, A.: The role of hydrogen in tribological properties of diamond-like carbon films. Surf. Coat. Technol. 146–147, 292 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Ahmad, I., Roy, S.S., Maguire, P.D., Papakonstantinou, P., and McLaughlin, J.A.: Effect of substrate bias voltage and substrate on the structural properties of amorphous carbon films deposited by unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Thin Solid Films 482(1–2), 45 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Hang, L., Yin, Y., and Xu, J.: Optimisation of diamond-like carbon films by unbalanced magnetron sputtering for infrared transmission enhancement. Thin Solid Films 515(1), 357 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Monaghan, D.P., Teer, D.G., Logan, P.A., Efeoglu, I., and Arnell, R.D.: Deposition of wear resistant coatings based on diamond like carbon by unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Surf. Coat. Technol. 60(1–3), 525 (1993).Google Scholar
11.Akari, K. and Iwamura, E.: DLC coating film properties in unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Kobe Steel Engin. Rep. 50(2), 58 (2000).Google Scholar
12.Anttila, A., Lappalainen, R., Tiainen, V-M., and Hakovirta, M.: Superior attachment of high-quality hydrogen-free amorphous diamond films to solid materials. Adv. Mater. 9(15), 1161 (1997).Google Scholar
13.Ensinger, W.: Formation of carbides and diamond-like carbon films by hydrocarbon plasma immersion ion implantation, in Plasma Surface Engineering Research and Its Practical Applications, edited by Wei, R. (Research Signpost, Trivandrum, India, 2008), p. 135.Google Scholar
14.Walter, K.C., Nastasi, M., and Munson, C.: Adherent diamond-like carbon coatings on metals via plasma source ion implantation. Surf. Coat. Technol. 93(2–3), 287 (1997).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Gnaser, H. and Oechsner, H.: Emission of MCs+ secondary ions from semiconductors by caesium bombardment. Surf. Interface Anal. 21(4), 257 (1994).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Gao, Y., Marie, Y., Saldi, F., and Migeon, H-N.: On the SIMS depth profiling analysis: Reduction of the matrix effect. Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Processes 143, 11 (1995).Google Scholar
17.Robertson, J.: Diamond-like amorphous carbon. Mater. Sci. Eng., R 37(4–6), 129 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Ferrari, A.C. and Robertson, J.: Interpretation of Raman spectra of disordered and amorphous carbon. Phys. Rev. B 61, 14095 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Casiraghi, C., Ferrari, A.C., and Robertson, J.: Raman spectroscopy of hydrogenated amorphous carbon. Phys. Rev. B 72, 085401 (2005).Google Scholar
20.Schwarz, F., Thorwarth, G., and Stritzker, B.: Synthesis of silver and copper nanoparticles containing a-C:H by ion irradiation of polymers. Solid State Sci. 11, 1819 (2009).Google Scholar
21.Ikeyama, M., Nakao, S., Miyagawa, Y., and Miyagawa, S.: Effects of Si content in DLC films on their friction and wear properties. Surf. Coat. Technol. 191, 38 (2005).Google Scholar
22.Bendavid, A., Martin, P.J., Comte, C., Preston, E.W., Haq, A.J., Magdon Ismail, F.S., and Singh, R.K.: The mechanical and biocompatibility properties of DLC-Si films prepared by pulsed DC plasma activated chemical vapor deposition. Diamond Relat. Mater. 16, 1616 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar