Microstructure and Mechanical Property of Magnetron Sputtering Deposited DLC Film

Abstract

A diamond-like carbon (DLC) film was deposited on YT14 substrate using magnetron sputtering (MS). The surface morphologies, roughness and bonding spectra of obtained film were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively, and its mechanical property and bonding strength were measured using a nanoindentation and scratch tester, respectively. The results show that the C-enriched DLC film exhibits a denser microstructure and smoother surface with lower surface roughness of 21.8 nm. The ratio of C sp2 at 284.4 eV that corresponds to the diamond (111) and the C sp3 at 285.3 eV that corresponds to the diamond (220) plane for the as-received film is 0.36: 0.64, showing that the C sp3 has the high content. The hardness and Young’s modulus of DLC film by nanoindentation are 8.534 41 and 142.158 1 GPa, respectively, and the corresponding bonding strength is 74.55N by scratch test.

Keywords

diamond-like carbon (DLC) film / magnetron sputtering (MS) / atomic force microscope (AFM) / X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) / nanoindentation

References

[1] Puchi-Cabrera E S, Staia M H, Ochoa-Pérez E A, et al. Fatigue Behavior of a 316L Stainless Steel Coated with a DLC Film Deposited by PVD Magnetron Sputter Ion Plating[J]. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2010, 527(3): 498-508.

[2] Angus J C. Diamond and Diamond-like Films[J]. Thin Solid Films, 1992, 216(1): 126-133.

[3] Jayatissa A, Sato F, Saito N, et al. Characterization of Diamond-like Carbon Clusters Deposited by Pulsed ArF Laser Deposition[J]. Carbon, 2000, 38(8): 1145-1151.

[4] Wang HM, Zhang W, Yu HL, et al. Tribological Properties of DLC Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering[J]. Phys. Procedia, 2011, 18: 274-278.

[5] Haruyuki Y, Makoto T, Yushi H, et al. Mechanical Properties of High-density Diamond Like Carbon (HD-DLC) Films Prepared using Filtered Arc Deposition[J]. Surf. Coat. Technol., 2011, 206(5): 1003-1006.

[6] Butt MZ, Khaleeq-ur-Rahman M, Dilawar A, et al. Deposition and Characterization of Multilayer DLC: Mo Thin Films Grown on Silicon Substrate by Off-axis Pulsed Laser Deposition Technique[J]. Appl. Surf. Sci., 2015, 331(5): 407-414.

[7] Iqbal SA, Elmer AO. DLC Films by Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition Near Room Temperature[J]. Diamond Relat. Mater., 1993, 2(12): 1483-1489.

[8] Hatada R, Flege S, Bobrich A, et al. Surface Modification and Corrosion Properties of Implanted and DLC Coated Stainless Steel by Plasma Based Ion Implantation and Deposition[J]. Surf. Coat. Technol., 2014, 256: 23-29.

[9] Setsuo N, Ken Y, Hisato O, et al. Effects of Ar Gas Pressure on Microstructure of DLC Films Deposited by High-power Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering[J]. Vac., 2013, 89(3): 261-266.

[10] Libardi J, Grigorov K, Massi M, et al. Comparative Studies of the Feed Gas Composition Effects on the Characteristics of DLC Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering[J]. Thin Solid Films, 2004, 459(1-2): 282-285.

[11] Chowdhury S, Laugier MT, Rahman IZ. Characterization of DLC Coatings Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering[J]. J. Mater. Process. Technol., 2004, s153-154(22): 804-810.

[12] Simic R, Kalin M. Adsorption Mechanisms for Fatty Acids on DLC and Steel Studied by AFM and Tribological Experiments[J]. Appl. Surf. Sci., 2013, 283(11): 460-470.

[13] Dai GL, Frank P, Andre' F, et al. Quantitative Analysis of Nano-wear on DLC Coatings by AFM[J]. CIRP Ann. Manuf. Technol., 2013, 62(1): 543-546.

[14] Ali M, Parviz K, Mehdi R, et al. Fabrication of DLC Thin Films with Improved Diamond-like Carbon Character by the Application of External Magnetic Field[J]. Carbon, 2015, 94: 485-493.

[15] Miroslav J, Josef Z, Marta V, et al. Bonding and Bio-properties of Hybrid Laser/magnetron Cr-enriched DLC Layers[J]. Mater. Sci. Eng. C, 2016, 58: 1217-1224.

[16] Tomáš K, Michal R, Michal L, et al. Evaluation of Elastic Properties of DLC Layers using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy and AFM Nanoindentation[J]. Surf. Coat. Techn., 2011, 205(1-2): S67-S70.

[17] Yutaka M, Tsuyoshi H, Volker W. Effect of sp2/sp3 Bonding Ratio and Nitrogen Content on Friction Properties of Hydrogen-free DLC Coatings[J]. Tribol. Int., 2013, 62(6): 130-140.

[18] Shi J R, Piramanayagam SN. Nano-scratch Resistance Study of Nitrogenated Amorphous Carbon Films Prepared by Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering[J]. J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 2006, 303(2): e115-e119.

[19] Zhang D C, Shen B, Sun F H. Study on Tribological Behavior and Cutting Performance of CVD Diamond and DLC Films on Co-cemented Tungsten Carbide Substrates[J]. Appl. Sur. Sci., 2010, 256(8): 2479-2489.

[20] Wang FJ, Qian Y Y, Ma X. Measurement of Mechanical Properties of Sn-Ag-Cu Bulk Solder BGA Solder Joint using Nanoindentation[J]. Acta Sinica, 2005, 41(7): 775-779.

[21] Kong DJ, Fu G Z. Nanoindentation Analysis of TiN, TiAlN and TiAlSiN Coatings Prepared by Cathode Ion Plating[J]. Sci. China Technol. Sci., 2015, 58(1): 1360-1368.

[22] Lan H Q, Liu C. The Hardness of Amorphous Si-DLC Films by Molecular Dynamics Simulations[J]. J. Wuhan U. Technol.-Mater. Sci. Ed., 2013, 28(3): 444-448.

[23] Chhowalla M, Ferrari A, Robertson J, et al. Evolution of sp2 Bonding with Deposition Temperature in Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon Studied by Raman Spectroscopy[J]. Appl. Phys. Lett., 2000, 76(11): 1419-1421.

[24] Voevodin AA, Zabinski JS. Superhard, Functionally Gradient, Nanolayered and Nanocomposite Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings for Wear Protection[J]. Diam. Rela. Mater., 1998, 7(2-5): 463-467.

[25] Crombez R, McMinis J, Veerasamy VS, et al. Experimental Study of Mechanical Properties and Scratch Resistance of Ultra-thin Diamond-like-carbon (DLC) Coatings Deposited on Glass[J]. Tribol. Int., 2011, 44(1): 55-62.

[26] Williams J A. Analytical Models of Scratch Hardness[J]. Tribol. Int., 1996, 29(8): 675-694.

[27] Sharm N, Kumar N, Dash S, et al. Scratch Resistance and Tribological Properties of DLC Coatings under Dry and Lubrication Conditions[J]. Tribol. Int., 2012, 56(3): 129-140.

[28] Dai W, Wu G S, Wang A Y. Preparation, Characterization and Properties of Cr-incorporated DLC Films on Magnesium alloy[J]. Diamond Relat. Mater., 2010, 19(10): 1307-1315.