DLC-Si protective coatings for polycarbonates

Abstract

In this work, a-C:H:Si (DLC-Si) films were produced onto crystalline silicon and polycarbonate substrates by the rf-PACVD technique from gaseous mixtures of CH4 + SiH4 and C2H2 + SiH4. The effects of self-bias and gas composition upon mechanical and optical properties of the films were investigated. Micro-hardness, residual stress, surface roughness and refractive index measurements were employed for characterization. By incorporating low concentrations of silicon and by exploring the more favorable conditions for the rf-PACVD deposition technique, highly adherent DLC-Si thin films were produced with reduced internal stresses (lower than 1 GPa), high hardness (around 20 GPa) and high deposition rates (up to 10 µm/h). Results that show the technological viability of this material for application as protective coatings for polycarbonates are also discussed

Application of glow discharge butadiene coatings on plasticized cornstarch substrates

“…Although reasonable, this assumption deserves further investigation. Similar observation has already been made for a-C: H films deposited on polycarbonate substrates [18].…”

The piezoresistive effect in diamond-like carbon films

“…Because of their hardness, low friction coefficient under humid conditions [6][7][8] they are ideally suited for many high-demand wear applications that cannot be handled by 'traditional' coatings. DLC films are used for ultrathin overcoats on hard disks [9], video cassette recorder (VCR) head drums (where DLC coatings have lowered the friction coefficient by 14-30% and reduced the wear rate by 50% [10]), protecting coatings for magnetic tape heads and polycarbonates [11]. Because of their tribological properties in combination with optical transparency in the infrared and visible range, tuneable optical bandgap and refractive index, it is used as surface protection coatings in infrared (IR) optics [12,13] and antireflection coating in solar cells [13][14][15].…”

Piezoresistive gauge factor of hydrogenated amorphous carbon films

“…Hydrogenated amorphous carbon films can be produced by plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) from hydrocarbon vapor. Besides extended hardness these films have a low friction coefficient, they are stable and chemically inert, which makes them attractive candidates for potential applications such as optical coatings [6], for pressure and temperature sensors [7].…”