• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제38권6호
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• pp.227-234
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• 2022

Recently, the demand for improving energy efficiency has rapidly increased because of the growing concerns over environmental issues. In this work, the tribo-test and simulation for the initial wear and lubrication performance were performed for the piston pin in the small end system of the connecting rod of a marine engine, to obtain useful data for improving the efficiency of marine engine systems. In addition, a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating was applied to the piston pin to explore feasibility of eliminating the bush used in the system. The initial wear and lubrication characteristics between the uncoated piston pin and bush were compared with that between the DLC-coated piston pin and connecting rod in the tribo-test. The simulation for the wear and lubrication performance according to the wear progression was conducted based on the data obtained from the test. The wear characteristics were quantitatively assessed by the wear depth and wear volume, and the lubrication performance was characterized with the change of pressure and minimum oil film thickness with respect to the crank angle. It was found that the DLC-coated piston pin may provide better initial wear characteristics and lubrication performance. The results of this work may provide fundamental information for marine engines with improved efficiency.

• 한국표면공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국표면공학회 2018년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.87-87
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• 2018

다이아몬드 상 탄소(diamond-like carbon, DLC)는 상당량의 $sp^3$ 결합을 가지는 비정질 탄소(a-C) 또는 수소화 비정질 탄소(a-C:H)로 이루어진 준안정 형태의 탄소이다. DLC는 전기 저항과 굴절률이 높고 화학적으로 다른 물질과 반응하지 않으며, 마찰계수가 낮고 경도가 높아 자기 디스크, 광학 소자 등의 다양한 분야에서 적용되고 있다[1,2]. 또한 다이아몬드에 비해 상온에서 성장이 가능할 정도로 합성온도가 낮아 적용 기판의 제한이 거의 없고, 증착 방법과 조건에 따라 탄소 결합의 다양성과 비정질성이 변화하기 때문에 넓은 범위의 특성을 얻을 수 있는 장점이 있다. 지금까지 DLC 박막의 광학적 특성, 특히 굴절률, 광학적인 에너지 밴드 갭, 자외선과 적외선 투과성에 대해서는 많은 연구가 진행되었으나 가시광선의 투과성에 대한 연구는 제한적이며[4], 가시광선 투과도 개선에 대한 연구는 전무하다. 본 연구에서는 ITO 기판 위에 DLC를 합성하고 기계적 특성과 가시광선 영역 투과도를 조사하였다. RF-PECVD(radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) 방법에 의해서 $C_2H_2+Ar$ 혼합 가스 비율과 $C_2H_2+N_2$ 혼합 가스 비율을 변화시켜 ITO 기판 위에 DLC 박막을 합성하였다. 공정 압력과 rf-power, 증착시간, 기판온도는 0.2 torr, 40 W, 5 분, $50^{\circ}C$로 고정하고, 공정 가스는 $C_2H_2+Ar$과 $C_2H_2+N_2$가 200 sccm이 되도록 비율을 변화하였다. $C_2H_2:Ar$과 $C_2H_2:N_2$의 비율은 180 : 20, 160 : 40, 140 : 60, 120 : 80, 100 : 100이 되도록 가스의 유량을 조절하였다. 투과도는 가시광선(380 ~ 780 nm) 범위에서 측정하였고 두께와 표면조도는 AFM으로 측정하였다. 투과도는 $C_2H_2+Ar$의 Ar 가스 비율이 증가할수록 증가해 140 : 60일 때 최댓값을 나타낸 후 다시 감소하였다. $C_2H_2+N_2$ 투과도는 $N_2$ 가스 비율이 증가할수록 감소하는 경향을 나타내었다. 표면 거칠기는 $C_2H_2+Ar$ 혼합 가스를 사용한 경우의 Ar의 가스 비율이 증가할수록 증가하였다. 그러나 $C_2H_2+N_2$ 혼합 가스를 사용한 경우에는 $N_2$ 가스의 혼합 비율이 증가할수록 감소하였다.

• 대한전기학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전기학회 1996년도 하계학술대회 논문집 C
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• pp.1446-1449
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• 1996

Thin films of diamond-like carbon(DLC) have been deposited using a magnetron plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition(PECVD) method with an rf(13.56 MHz) plasma of $C_{3}H_{8}$. From the Langmuir probe I-V characteristics, it can be observed that increasing the magnetic field yields an increase of the temperature($T_e$) and density($N_e$) of electron. At a magnetic field of 82 Gauss, the estimated values of $T_e$ and $N_e$ are approximately $1.5\;{\times}\;10^5$ K(13.5 eV) and $1.3\;{\times}\;10^{11}\;cm^{-3}$, respectively. Such a highly dense plasma can be attributed to the enhanced ionization caused by the cyclotron motion of electrons in the presence of a magnetic field. On the other hand, the negative dc self-bias voltage($-V_{sb}$) decreases with an increasing magnetic field, which is irrespective of gas pressure in the range of $1{\sim}7$ mTorr. This result is well explained by a theoretical model considering the variation of $T_e$. Deposition rates of DLC films increases with a magnetic field. This may be due to the increased mean free path of electrons in the magnetron plasma. Structures of DLC films are examined by using various techniques such as FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. Most of hydrocarbon bonds in DLC films prepared consist of $sp^3$ tetrahedral bonds. Increasing the rf power leads to an enhancement of cross-linking of carbon atoms in DLC films. At approximately 140 W, the maximum film density obtained is about 2.4 $g/cm^3$.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.8-14
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• 2022

Amorphous carbon (a-C) has excellent wear resistance and, therefore is used as a coating to protect numerous mechanical components to prolong their lifetimes. Among the a-C coatings, diamond-like carbon (DLC) and DLC-containing silicon (Si-DLC) receive extensive attention owing to their enhanced wear resistance and low frictional characteristics. In this study, the friction and wear characteristics of DLC and Si-DLC coatings are analyzed. For comparative analysis, DLC-coated and Si-DLC-coated vanes are utilized with the counterpart of a roller for the friction tests. Since the lubricated mechanical components are generally vulnerable to wear when a lubricant film does not form properly, friction tests are conducted under boundary lubrication conditions to promote wear. A cylinder-on-cylinder type tribometer is used to perform the friction tests with various normal load conditions. After the friction test, a 3D laser confocal microscope is used for quantifying the wear volume to calculate the wear rate of each specimen. Consequently, the DLC-coated specimen shows a lower coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate than the specimen without the coating, while the Si-DLC coating shows a higher COF than the bare specimen. The results of this study are expected to contribute to improving the efficiency and reliability of compressors.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제11권5호
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• pp.128-135
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• 1995

Atomic force microscopy/friction force microscopy (AFM/FFM) techniques are increasingly used for tribological studies of engineering surfaces at scales, ranging from atomic and molecular to microscales. These techniques have been used to study surface roughness, adhesion, friction, scratching/wear, indentation, detection of material transfer, and boundary lubrication and for nanofabrication/nanomachining purposes. Micro/nanotribological studies of single-crystal silicon, natural diamond, magnetic media (magnetic tapes and disks) and magnetic heads have been conducted. Commonly measured roughness parameters are found to be scale dependent, requiring the need of scale-independent fractal parameters to characterize surface roughness. Measurements of atomic-scale friction of a freshly-cleaved highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite exhibited the same periodicity as that of corresponding topography. However, the peaks in friction and those in corresponding topography were displaced relative to each other. Variations in atomic-scale friction and the observed displacement has been explained by the variations in interatomic forces in the normal and lateral directions. Local variation in microscale friction is found to correspond to the local slope suggesting that a ratchet mechanism is responsible for this variation. Directionality in the friction is observed on both micro- and macro scales which results from the surface preparation and anisotropy in surface roughness. Microscale friction is generally found to be smaller than the macrofriction as there is less ploughing contribution in microscale measurements. Microscale friction is load dependent and friction values increase with an increase in the normal load approaching to the macrofriction at contact stresses higher than the hardness of the softer material. Wear rate for single-crystal silicon is approximately constant for various loads and test durations. However, for magnetic disks with a multilayered thin-film structure, the wear of the diamond like carbon overcoat is catastrophic. Breakdown of thin films can be detected with AFM. Evolution of the wear has also been studied using AFM. Wear is found to be initiated at nono scratches. AFM has been modified to obtain load-displacement curves and for nanoindentation hardness measurements with depth of indentation as low as 1 mm. Scratching and indentation on nanoscales are the powerful ways to screen for adhesion and resistance to deformation of ultrathin fdms. Detection of material transfer on a nanoscale is possible with AFM. Boundary lubrication studies and measurement of lubricant-film thichness with a lateral resolution on a nanoscale have been conducted using AFM. Self-assembled monolyers and chemically-bonded lubricant films with a mobile fraction are superior in wear resistance. Finally, AFM has also shown to be useful for nanofabrication/nanomachining. Friction and wear on micro-and nanoscales have been found to be generally smaller compared to that at macroscales. Therefore, micro/nanotribological studies may help def'me the regimes for ultra-low friction and near zero wear.

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2007년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.429-429
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• 2007

For various applications of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), the uniform alignment of liquid crystal (LC) molecules on treated surfaces is significantly important. Generally, a rubbing method has been widely used to align the LC molecules on polyimide (PI) surfaces. Rubbed PI surfaces have suitable characteristics, such as uniform alignment. However, the rubbing method has some drawbacks, such as the generation of electrostatic charges and the creation of contaminating particles. Thus, we strongly recommend a non contact alignment technique for future generations of large high-resolution LCDs. Most recently, the LC aligning capabilities achieved by ultraviolet and ion-beam exposures which are non contact methods, on diamond-like carbon (DLC) inorganic thin film layers have been successfully studied because DLC thin films have a high mechanical hardness, a high electrical resistivity, optical transparency, and chemical inertness. In addition, nitrogen-doped DLC (NDLC) thin films exhibit properties similar to those of the DLC thin films and a higher thermal stability than the DLC thin films because C:N bonding in the NDLC thin filmsis stronger against thermal stress than C:H bonding in the DLC thin films. Our research group has already studied the NDLC thin films by an ion-beam alignment method. The $SiN_x$ thin films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition are widely used as an insulation layer for a thin film transistor, which has characteristics similar to those of DLC inorganic thin films. Therefore, in this paper, we report on LC alignment effects and pretilt angle generation on a $SiN_x$, thin film treated by ion-beam irradiation for various N ratios

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.209-215
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• 2005

Nano/micro friction with the contact area was studied on Si-wafer (100) and diamond-like carbon (DLC) film. Borosilicate balls of radii $0.32{\mu}m,\;0.5{\mu}m,\;1.25{\mu}m\;and\;2.5{\mu}m$ mounted on the top of AFM tip (NPS) were used for nano-scale contact and Soda Lime glass balls of radii 0.25mm, 0.5mm, 1mm were used for micro-scale contact. At nano-scale, the friction between ball and surface was measured with the applied normal load using an atomic force microscope (AFM), and at micro scale it was measured using ball-on flat type micro-tribotester. All the experiments were conducted at controlled conditions of temperature $(24\pm1^{\circ}C)$ and humidity $(45\pm5\%)$. Friction was measured as a function of applied normal load in the range of 0-160nN at nano scale and in the range of $1000{\mu}N,\; 1500{\mu}N,\;3000{\mu}N\;and\;4800{\mu}N$ at micro scale. Results showed that the friction at nano scale increased with the applied normal load and ball size for both kinds of samples. Similar behavior of friction with the applied normal load and ball size was observed for Si-wafer at micro scale. However, for DLC friction decreased with the ball size. This difference of in behavior of friction in DLC nano- and microscale was attribute to the difference in the operating mechanisms. The evidence of the operating mechanisms at micro-scale were observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). At micro-scale, solid-solid adhesion was dominant in Silicon-wafer, while plowing in DLC. Contrary to the nano scale that shows almost a wear-less situation, wear was prominent at micro-scale. At nano- and micro-scale, effect of contact area on the friction was discussed with the different applied normal load and ball size.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제36권5호
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• pp.357-363
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• 2003

The aim of this work is the synthesis of a-C:H films from methane gas using surface spark discharge at the atmospheric pressure. Properties of these films have been investigated as functions of energy W delivered per a methane molecule in the discharge. The method enables the coatings to be deposited with high growth rates (up to $100 \mu\textrm{m}$/hour) onto large-area substrates. It is shown that the films consist of spherical granules with diameter of 20∼50 nm formed in the spark channel and then deposited onto the substrate. The best film characteristics such as minimum hydrogen-to-carbon atoms ratio H/C=0.69, maximum hardness $H_{v}$ =3 ㎬, the most dense packing of the granules and highest scratch resistance has been obtained under the condition of highest energy W of 40 eV. The deposited a-C:H coatings were found to be more soft and hydrogenated compared to the diamond-like hydrogenated (a-C:H) films which obtained by traditional plasmaenhanced chemical vapor deposition methods at low pressure (＜10 Torr). Nevertheless, these coatings can be potentially used for scratch protection of soft plastic materials since they are of an order harder than plastics but still transparent (the absorption coefficient is about $10^4$∼$10^{5}$ $m^{-1}$ At the same time the proposed method for fast deposition of a-C:H films makes this process less expensive compared to the conventional techniques. This advantage can widen the application field of. these films substantially.y.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2016년도 제50회 동계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.144.2-144.2
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• 2016

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings have been widely applied to the mechanical components, cutting tools due to properties of high hardness and wear resistance. Among them, hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) coatings are well-known for their low friction properties, stable production of thin and thick film, they were reported to be easily worn away under high temperature. Non-hydrogenated tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) is an ideal for industrial applicability due to good thermal stability from high $sp^3$-bonding fraction ranging from 70 to 80 %. However, the large compressive stress of ta-C coating limits to apply thick ta-C coating. In this study, the thick ta-C coating was deposited onto Inconel alloy disk by the FCVA technique. The thickness of the ta-C coating was about $3.5{\mu}m$. The tribological behaviors of ta-C coated disks sliding against $Si_3N_4$ balls were examined under elevated temperature divided into 23, 100, 200 and $300^{\circ}C$. The range of temperature was setting up until peel off observed. The experimental results showed that the friction coefficient was decreased from 0.14 to 0.05 with increasing temperature up to $200^{\circ}C$. At $300^{\circ}C$, the friction coefficient was dramatically increased over 5,000 cycles and then delaminated. These phenomenon was summarized two kinds of reasons: (1) Thermal degradation and (2) graphitization of ta-C coating. At first, the reason of thermal degradation was demonstrated by wear rate calculation. The wear rate of ta-C coatings showed an increasing trend with elevated temperature. For investigation of relationship between hardness and graphitization, thick ta-C coatings(2, 3 and $5{\mu}m$) were additionally deposited. As the thickness of ta-C coating was increased, hardness decreased from 58 to 49 GPa, which means that graphitization was accelerated. Therefore, now we are trying to increase $sp^3$ fraction of ta-C coating and control the coating parameters for thermal stability of thick ta-C at high temperatures.