• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.127-133
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• 2017

In order to characterize the adhesive properties and failure mechanisms of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films of two different thicknesses (130 nm and $1.2{\mu}m$), deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on a Si substrate, scratch testing with a micro-indenter ($12.5{\mu}m$ tip radius) was performed under a linearly increasing load. These scratch tests were conducted under the same test conditions for both films. The critical load of each film was estimated from the scratch test results, based on a sharp increase in the coefficient of friction and a clear distinction of failure modes. The critical load was the basis for evaluating the adhesion strength of the films, and the $1.2{\mu}m-thick$ DLC film had superior adhesion strength. For better understanding of the failure modes, the following analyses were conducted: friction behavior and scratch tracks analysis using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and 3-D profilometry. The scratch test results showed that failure modes were related to the thickness of the films. The 130 nm-thick DLC film underwent cohesive failure modes (cracks and chipping) before reaching to a gross failure stage. On the other hand, the thicker DLC film ($1.2{\mu}m-thick$) did not exhibit micro cracks before a sudden gross failure of the film together with the evidence of cracking and chipping of the Si substrate.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.157-163
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• 2004

Dependence of residual compressive stress of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on relative humidity was investigated. Polymeric, graphitic and diamond-like carbon films were prepared by r.f.-PACVD using methane or benzene with the negative self bias voltage of the substrate ranging from -100 to -800 V. In-situ measurements of the residual stress were carried out in an environment chamber where the relative humidity was varied from 10％ to 90％. In dense DLC film of high residual compressive stress and hardness, we could not observe any change in the residual compressive stress with relative humidity. However, in the cases of graphitic and polymeric DLC films, abrupt change in the residual stress occurred by changing the relative humidity. The quantity of the stress change was inversely proportional to the film thickness, which means that the stress change with humidity is not due to the penetration of the water molecule into the film structure, but due to surface interaction between water molecules and film surface.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.182-186
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• 1997

Diamond-like carbon(DLC) films were deposited on silicon substreates by using an RF plasmaassisted CVD apparatus; the effects of deposition conditions such as CH4 gas pressure and substrate bias voltage on DLC film friction and wear were examined in both friction and scratch tests. In friction tests critical loads at which the friction coefficient increases abruptly depend on substrate bias voltages: critical loads deposited at a bias voltage of -100 V exceed those deposited at other bias voltages. Critical loads are correlated with DLC film hydrogen content. Critical DLC film loads in scratch tests depended considerably less than in friction tests. The friction coefficient of DLC films depends on neither substrate bias voltage nor CH4 gas pressure.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.570-574
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• 2010

A diamond-like carbon (DLC) film deposited on a WC disk was investigated to improve disk wear resistance for injection molding of zirconia optical ferrule. The deposition of DLC films was performed using the filtered vacuum arc ion plating (FV-AIP) system with a graphite target. The coating processing was controlled with different deposition times and the other conditions for coating, such as input power, working pressure, substrate temperature, gas flow, and bias voltage, were fixed. The coating layers of DLC were characterized using FE-SEM, AFM, and Raman spectrometry; the mechanical properties were investigated with a scratch tester and a nano-indenter. The friction coefficient of the DLC coated on the WC was obtained using a pin-on-disk, according to the ASTM G163-99. The thickness of DLC films coated for 20 min. and 60 min. was about 750 nm and 300 nm, respectively. The surface roughness of DLC films coated for 60 min. was 5.9 nm. The Raman spectrum revealed that the G peak of DLC film was composed of $sp^3$ amorphous carbon bonds. The critical load (Lc) of DLC film obtained with the scratch tester was 14.6 N. The hardness and elastic modulus of DLC measured with the nano-indenter were 36.9 GPa and 585.5 GPa, respectively. The friction coefficient of DLC coated on WC decreased from 0.2 to 0.01. The wear property of DLC coated on WC was enhanced by a factor of 20.

• KSTLE International Journal
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• v.10 no.1_2
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• pp.1-5
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• 2009

This paper reports an investigation on nanotribological properties of silicon nanochannels coated by a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film. The nanochannels were fabricated on Si (100) wafers by using photolithography and reactive ion etching (RIE) techniques. The channeled surfaces (Si channels) were then further modified by coating thin DLC film. Water contact angle of the modified and unmodified Si surfaces was examined by an anglemeter using the sessile-drop method. Nanotribological properties, namely friction and adhesion forces, of the Si channels coated with DLC (DLC-coated Si channels) were investigated in comparison with those of the flat Si, DLC-coated flat Si (flat DLC), and Si channels, using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Results showed that the DLC-coated Si channels greatly increased hydrophobicity of silicon surfaces. The DLC coating and Si channels themselves individually reduced adhesion and friction forces of the flat Si. Further, the DLC-coated Si channels exhibited the lowest values of these forces, owing to the combined effect of reduced contact area through the channeling and low surface energy of the DLC. This combined modification could prove a promising method for tribological applications at small scales.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2010

A new advanced combined PVD/CVD technique of DLC film deposition has been developed. Deposition of a DLC film was carried out using a pulsed carbon arc discharge in vapor hydrocarbon atmosphere. The arc plasma enhancing CVD process promotes dramatic increase in the deposition rate and decrease of compressive stress as well as improvement of film thickness uniformity compared to that obtained with a single PVD pulsed arc process. The optical spectroscopy investigation reveals great increase in radiating components of $C_2$ Swan system molecular bands due to acetylene molecules decomposition. AFM, Raman spectroscopy, XPS and nano-indentation were used to characterize DLC films. The method ensures obtaining a new superhard DLC nano-material for deposition of protective coatings onto various industrial products including those used in medicine.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.50-55
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• 2003

Tribological testing of DLC films was conducted using a rotating type ball on a disk friction tester in a dry chamber. This study made use of four kinds of mating balls that were made with stainless steel but subjected to diverse annealing conditions in order to achieve different levels of hardness. In all load conditions using martensite mating balls, the test results demonstrated that the friction coefficient was lower when the mating materials were harder. The high friction coefficient found in soft martensite balls appeared to be caused by the larger contact areas. The wear track on the mating balls indicated that a certain amount of material transfer occurs from the DLC film to the mating ball during the high friction process. Raman Spectra analysis showed that the transferred materials were a kind of graphite and that the contact surface of the DLC film seemed to undergo a phase transition from carbon to graphite during the high friction process.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.13 no.spc2
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• pp.363-367
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• 2012

DLC (diamond liked carbon) coating of the tungsten carbide (WC) alloy core surface for molding a glass aspheric lens improves the quality of glass lens and the molding core and is characterized by high hardness, high elasticity, abrasion resistance and chemical stability. In this study, the effect of DLC coating of a thin film by means of the filtered AIP (arc ion plating) technique was examined on Ra and shape of the coated surface. Roughness before and after DLC coating was measured and the result showed that the roughness was improved after coating as compared to before coating. It was observed that DLC coating of the WC alloy core surface for molding had an effect on improving the roughness and shape of the core surface. It is considered that this will have an effect on improving abrasion resistance and the service life of the core surface.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.19-22
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• 1999

N-doped and low-hydrogenated DLC thin films were coated on the Mo-tip FEAs in order to improve the field emission performance and their electrical properties were evaluated. The fabricated devices showed improved field emission performance in terms of turn-on voltage, emission current and current fluctuation. This result might be caused both by the shift of Fermi level toward conduction band by N-doping and by the inherent stability of DLC material. Furthermore, the transconductance of the DLC-coated Mo-tip FEA and electrical conductivity and optical band-gap of the deposited DLC films were investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.290-290
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• 2011

In this study Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were deposited on p-type Si substrates using a Radio-Frequency magnetron Sputtering system. The DLC film was deposited by bombarding graphite target with a N2/Ar plasma mixture with various conditions: substrate, pressure, deposition time, temperature of substrate, power and ratio of gas mixture. The effect on the conduction and hardness of DLC thin films were investigated. The conduction of DLC films were measured by I-V measurement. In addition, Raman analysis was performed to study the chemical bonding structure. The hardness was measured by Nano indentation. Atomic Force Microscopy was used for determined surface morphology of DLC film.