Evolution of coefficient of friction with deposition temperature in diamond like carbon thin films J. Appl. Phys. 112, 023525 (2012); 10.1063/1.4740082Temperature dependent properties of silicon containing diamondlike carbon films prepared by plasma source ion implantation A variable temperature, ultrahigh vacuum atomic force microscope ͑AFM͒ was used to characterize interfacial friction for a single-asperity diamond contact on a diamondlike carbon ͑DLC͒ substrate over a nominal substrate temperature range of 90 to 275 K. Calibrated friction force measurements were obtained by analyzing lateral force hysteresis loops as a function of normal force. For sufficiently large normal forces, the lateral force was proportional to the normal force, and a friction coefficient could be identified. varied approximately linearly with substrate temperature, with = 0.28 at T = 90 K and = 0.38 at 275 K. These results are compared to other recent variable temperature AFM friction measurements and to theoretical calculations based on the Tomlinson model. This comparison is obscured by large, experimentally uncontrolled temperature differences between the tip and the substrate which inevitably exist in conventional, variable temperature AFMs. A thermal model which can be used to quantitatively estimate these temperature differences is presented.