Investigation of the structure and properties of a-C:H coatings with metal and silicon containing interlayers

Nöthe, Michael; Breuer, U.; Koch, F.; Penkalla, H. J.; Rehbach, Werner P.; Bolt, H.

doi:10.1016/s0169-4332(01)00274-4

Cited by 21 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The last method, fabrication of a multilayer structure, e.g., a soft layer and a hard layer, is a viable approach to reduce internal stresses and improve adhesion and film thickness [16]. In previous studies, Nöthe et al [17] and Xie et al [18] have shown that the interlayer coating can generate more robust and more chemical bonds at the interface than metal-doped DLC. Cemin et al [19] showed that the coating detaches from the steel substrate after the deposition process even though the substrate was bombarded with argon plasma.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improvement of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of chrome plating by diamond-like carbon coating with different silicon-based interlayers

Lakhonchai

Chingsungnoen

Poolcharuansin

et al. 2022

Mater. Res. Express

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this study, the silicon-based interlayers for hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) coating on a chromium-plated substrate are presented. The a-Si, a-Si:N, a-Si:H and a-SixCy:H interlayers with a thickness of about 306 nm were deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering technique. The a-C:H films with a thickness of about 317 nm was prepared as a top layer by radio frequency-plasma chemical vapor deposition. The a-C:H films with silicon-based interlayers were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, field emission-secondary electron microscopy, nanoindentation, micro-scratching, and electrochemical corrosion measurements in terms of their structure, morphology, mechanical and adhesive properties, and corrosion resistance. The a-C:H films with an a-Si:H interlayer exhibit the lowest corrosion current density, which is about 36 times lower than that of the uncoated chromium-plated substrate. In addition, the hardness increases from 8.48 GPa for the uncoated substrate to 20.98 GPa for the a-C:H/a-Si:H sample. The mixing with hydrogen gas could reduce the residual oxygen during the deposition process, which could reduce the Si–O bonding and improve the adhesion strength between the a-C:H film and the a-Si:H interlayer and the a-Si:H interlayer and the substrate. Therefore, it can be concluded that the protective a-C:H coating with an a-Si:H interlayer has excellent potential to significantly improve the durability and extend the service life of materials used in abrasive and corrosive environments.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improvement of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of chrome plating by diamond-like carbon coating with different silicon-based interlayers

Lakhonchai

Chingsungnoen

Poolcharuansin

et al. 2022

Mater. Res. Express

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Ar gas was introduced into the chamber and maintained at a pressure of 1.5 Â 10 À2 Pa and a Kaufman ion source with a 5-cm-wide beam was turned on for 10 min to remove the native oxide film and any airborne adsorbents on the substrate surface. An $200-nm-thick Si layer was then deposited on the substrate by sputtering the Si target with Ar þ ions (DC power ¼ 80 W; chamber pressure ¼ 0.7 Pa; duration ¼ 40 min) to improve the adhesion between the substrate and the a-C:H film (24). After this step, Si/Ag/a-C:H film deposition onto the Si-coated substrates was performed by sputtering both targets with Ar and CH 4 plasmas (RF power ¼ 150 W [graphite/Ag target]; DC power ¼ 80 W [Si target]; chamber pressure ¼ 0.7 Pa; Ar gas flow rate ¼ 40 sccm; CH 4 gas flow rate ¼ 20 sccm).…”

Section: Film Depositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Si on the Microstructure and Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Ag/a-C:H Films

Zhang

Meng

et al. 2020

Tribology Transactions

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The relatively high toughness, high adhesion to steel, and low internal stress of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films containing Ag make them good candidate materials for various applications in sensors, tribology, and biomaterials; however, the relatively low hardness and poor tribological properties in oxidizing environments hinder their broad use. Incorporating a small amount of Si in Ag/a-C:H films may modify the film microstructure and, in turn, improve their mechanical and tribological properties. To test this hypothesis, Ag/Si/a-C:H films were synthesized by magnetron sputtering and their microstructure, composition, and mechanical/tribological properties were examined with various microanalysis techniques and mechanical testing methods. The Si content of the films was varied by controlling the rotational speed of the substrate. It is shown that the incorporation of Si in the films increases the sp 3 C, sp 3 CH, and sp 3 CH 2 contents, slightly roughens the film surface, and greatly improves the mechanical and tribological properties through the formation of a SiC phase. The results of this study also show that there is a critical Si content for optimal tribological properties.

show abstract

“…Internal stress reduction and adhesion enhancement between the DLC film and substrate can be achieved by adding a "seed layer" [3,4]. Various seed layer systems have been tested, including metals (Ti, Al, Cr, W) [5][6][7], ceramics (SiO 2 , SiC, TiC, Si 3 N 4 , CrN) [8][9][10], and more complex composite systems [11]. Silicon nitride seeds have been found to be particularly promising in maintaining film stability under tribological stress regimes [12,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Ultra-Thin Diamond-Like Carbon Films by SEM/EDX

Puttichaem

Souza²,

Ruthe³

et al. 2021

Coatings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A novel, high throughput method to characterize the chemistry of ultra-thin diamond-like carbon films is discussed. The method uses surface sensitive SEM/EDX to provide substrate-specific, semi-quantitative silicon nitride/DLC stack composition of protective films extensively used in the hard disk drives industry and at Angstrom-level. SEM/EDX output is correlated to TEM to provide direct, gauge-capable film thickness information using multiple regression models that make predictions based on film constituents. The best model uses the N/Si ratio in the films, instead of separate Si and N contributions. Topography of substrate/film after undergoing wear is correlatively and compositionally described based on chemical changes detected via the SEM/EDX method without the need for tedious cross-sectional workflows. Wear track regions of the substrate have a film depleted of carbon, as well as Si and N in the most severe cases, also revealing iron oxide formation. Analysis of film composition variations around industry-level thicknesses reveals a complex interplay between oxygen, silicon and nitrogen, which has been reflected mathematically in the regression models, as well as used to provide valuable insights into the as-deposited physics of the film.

show abstract

Investigation of the structure and properties of a-C:H coatings with metal and silicon containing interlayers

Cited by 21 publications

References 8 publications

Improvement of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of chrome plating by diamond-like carbon coating with different silicon-based interlayers

Improvement of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of chrome plating by diamond-like carbon coating with different silicon-based interlayers

Influence of Si on the Microstructure and Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Ag/a-C:H Films

Characterization of Ultra-Thin Diamond-Like Carbon Films by SEM/EDX

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About