Diamond/β-SiC Composite Thin Films: Preparation, Properties and Applications

Abstract

Diamond/β-SiC composite films have been fabricated using chemical vapor deposition techniques. The ultimate goal is to create a superior material with combined advantages of both diamond and β-SiC for a wide range of applications, such as tribological and biological coatings, sensors, windows for harsh environment, and electronic devices etc. In this chapter, the recent processes made in the synthesis, characterization and applications of the diamond/β-SiC composite films are reviewed. IntroductionDriven by the ambition to technologically harness both diamond and β-SiC's numerous outstanding properties, the fabrication of diamond/β-SiC composite films was firstly launched using chemical vapor deposition technique in 1992 [1]. The ultimate goal of this activity is to create a superior material with combined advantages of both diamond and β-SiC for a wide range of applications. During the course of the time, good control over the crystallinity, phase distribution and orientation of both diamond and β-SiC phases have been achieved. The composite films have been applied to enhance the adhesion of diamond film on various technologically important substrates, as well as for the fabrication of DNA biosensors. This chapter will start from the basic knowledge of synthesizing diamond/β-SiC composite films, and then move on to present the main approaches in controlling their orientation, phase distribution and crystallinity. In the end of this chapter, the application of the composite film as coating for cutting tools and biosensors will be introduced.

Gradient-Modified HfC-SiC Mixed Bi-Interlayers Synthesized under Different TMS Flow Rate Increment for Depositing Diamond Coating onto WC-Co Substrate

“…The maximum critical load and surface microhardness were 110 N at the increment of 0.20 sccm/2 min and 2790 HV 0.1 at the increment of 0.25 sccm/2 min, respectively. The maximum microhardness was close to the hardness of SiC in theory (3000 HV) [6].…”

“…Both adhesion and hardness variations could be attributed to the introduction of SiC in the bi-interlayers and the microstructure of bi-interlayers. SiC has lower theoretical TEC and higher theoretical hardness than those of HfC and WC-Co [6,36]. Therefore, SiC with gradient distribution in the bi-interlayers was helpful in tailoring the TEC between the interlayers and the substrates.…”

“…Moreover, the residual stress caused by the mismatched thermal expansion coefficient (TEC), Young's modulus, and hardness, etc. between the WC-Co substrate and the diamond coating results in an increased risk of the coating delamination under the shear force during the cutting application [5,6].…”

Diamond Composite: A “1 + 1 > 2” Strategy to Design and Explore Advanced Functional Materials

“…Taking a photochemical method an example, it has been developed to functionalize a Dia/SiC composite, namely, by the attachment of allylamine to the Dia/SiC surface (Figure 5a). 35 The amino group was protected by a trifluoroacetic acid group in order to prevent the oxidation of this linker molecule and the Dia/SiC composite during the UV illumination. After the amine group was deprotected and attached to a singlestranded DNA, the detection of the DNA hybridization event was conducted in a solution containing fluorescent dye.…”

Estimating the effective elasticity properties of a diamond/β-SiC composite thin film by 3D reconstruction and numerical homogenization

“…Since diamond/β-SiC composites are part of engineering structures in a multitude of applications, their mechanical performance is of cardinal importance for the functionality and integrity of structures at various length scales. Recent progress made in the synthesis, characterization and applications of the diamond/β-SiC composite films are reviewed in Jiang and Zhuang [2015], an even broader view on current trends in diamond research and technology is given in Yang [2015].…”