Wear Characteristics of Diamond-Like Carbon Thin Film for Durability Enhancement of Ultra-precision Systems

초정밀 시스템의 내구성 향상을 위한 다이아몬드상 탄소 박막의 마멸특성에 관한 연구

Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) thin film is a semiconductor with high mechanical hardness, low friction coefficient, high chemical inertness, and optical transparency. DLC thin films have widespread applications as protective coatings and solid lubricant coatings in areas such as Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS). In this work, the wear characteristics of DLC thin films deposited on silicon substrates using a DC-magnetron sputtering system were analyzed. The wear tracks were measured with an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). To identify the sp2 and sp3 hybridization of carbon bonds and other bonds Raman spectroscopy was used. The structural information of DLC thin films was obtained with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and wear tests were conducted by using a micro-pin-on-reciprocator tester. Results showed that the wear characteristics were dependent on the sputtering conditions. The wear rate could be correlated with the bonding state of the DLC thin film.