• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.124-129
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• 2023

This study assessed the influences of fluorine introduced into DLC films on the structural and mechanical properties of the sample. In addition, the effects of the fluorine incorporation on the compressive stress in DLC films were investigated. For this purpose, fluorinated diamond-like carbon (F-DLC) films were deposited on cobalt-chromium-molybdenum substrates using radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor. The coatings were examined by Raman scattering (RS), Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis (ATR-FTIR), and a combination of elastic recoil detection analysis and Rutherford backscattering (ERDA-RBS). Nano-indentation tests were performed to measure hardness. Also, the residual stress of the films was calculated by the Stony equation. The ATR-FTIR analysis revealed that F was present in the amorphous matrix mainly as C-F and C-F₂ groups. Based on Raman spectroscopy results, it was determined that F made the DLC films more graphitic. Additionally, it was shown that adding F into the DLC coating resulted in weaker mechanical properties and the F-DLC coating exhibited lower stress than DLC films. These effects were attributed to the replacement of strong C = C by feebler C-F bonds in the F-DLC films. F-doping decreased the hardness of the DLC from 11.5 to 8.8 GPa. In addition, with F addition, the compressive stress of the DLC sample decreased from 1 to 0.7 GPa.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2014

Poly vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVdF-HFP) membrane were prepared by the electrospinning technique. We had applied a DLC coating process and then the surface of the membrane and the contact angle change was investigated. Electrospun fibrous PVdF-HFP membrane surface became to wrinkled shape by Ar plasma treatment and treatment conditions. The wrinkled surface of PVdF-HFP membrane became super-hydrophilic. However, after DLC coating process, it became super-hydrophobic. The resulting surfaces were characterized by water contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Resultantly it was recognized that the wettability characteristics of the membrane surfaces depended on the chemical composition and surface morphology.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.71-72
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• 2007

In this study, we investigated the fabrication of MLR (multi-layer resist) with a very thin diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer. ArF PR/$SiO_2$/DLC MLR structure was investigated and etching characteristics of the DLC layer was patterned using $SiO_2$ hard-mask by varying the process parameters such as different high-frequency/low-frequency combination ($f_{LF}/f_{HF}$), HF/LF power ratio ($P_{HF}/P_{LF}$), $O_2$ flow and $N_2$ flow rate in $O_2/N_2$/Ar plasmas. The results indicated an increased etch rate of DLC for the higher $f_{LF}/f_{HF}$ combination and for the increased low-frequency power ($P_{LF}$). And the etch rate of DLC was decreased with increasing the $N_2$ flow rate in $O_2/N_2$/Ar plasmas. In order to confirm the application of DLC MLR for the etching process of silicon oxide, the stack of ArF PR/BARC/$SiO_2$/DLC/TEOS/Si was investigated.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.357-364
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• 2021

In this study, DLC films deposited by PECVD were evaluated to the properties of super-hydrophobic by CF₄ treatment. The structure of DLC films were confirmed by Raman Spectra whether or not mixed sp³ (like diamond) peak and sp² (like graphite) peak. And the hydrogen contents in the DLC films (F-DLC) were measured by RBS analysis. In addition, DLC films were analyzed by scratch test for adhesion, nano-indentation for hardness and tribo-meter of Ball-on-disc type for friction coefficient. In the result of analysis, DLC films had traditional structure regardless of variation of hardness at constant conditions. Also adhesion of DLC film was increased as higher material hardness. Otherwise, friction coefficient was increased as lower material hardness. The DLC films were treated by CF₄ plasma treatment to enhance the properties of super-hydrophobic. And the DLC films were measured by ESEM(Enviromental Scanning Electron Microscope) for water condensation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 1999.07a
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• pp.137-137
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• 1999

DLC(diamond-like carbon) 필름은 경도가 높고 마찰계수가 낮다는 장점을 가지고 있기 때문에 내마모성 코팅이나 윤활성 코팅에 대한 많은 응용이 이루어지고 있다. 그러나 DLC 필름은 수 GPa 정도의 높은 필름 자체의 큰 잔류 응력을 가지며, 마찰 계수가 주변환경에 매우 큰 영향을 받는다는 단점이 있다. 이러한 단점은 DLC 필름의 응용에 대한 저해 요인이 되며, 이 점을 보완하기 위하여 DLC 필름에 Si를 첨가한 연구들이 진행되고 있다. 본 실험에서는 r.f-PACVD 법을 이용하여 Si이 첨가된 DLC 필름의 바이어스 전압에 따른 특성변화를 연구하였다. 사용한 반응 가스는 벤젠(C6H6)과 희석된 (SiH4:H2=10:90)이며, 희석된 실랜과 벤젠의 첨가비율은 6:4 고정시키고, 음전압은 -150V에서 -750V까지, -150V씩 증가하여 바이어스 전압의 변화에 따른 필름의 특성을 분석하였다. 바이어스 전압을 증가시킴에 따라 수소의 함량은 48.8 at.%에서 20.3 at.%로, Si의 함량은 1.5 at.%에서 2.4 at.%로 증가하였다. 그리고 잔류응력은 0.5GPa에서 2.1GPa로 증가하였고, 경도의 경우 5GPa에서 21.5GPa로 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 이러한 경향은 필름내부의 3차원 상호결합과 이온의 충돌에너지의 영향임을 알 수 있었다.

• KSTLE International Journal
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• v.9 no.1_2
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• pp.22-25
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• 2008

This paper investigated the wetting and adhesion property of undulated DLC film with surface morphology controlled for a reduced real area of contact. The undulated DLC Films were prepared by 13.56 MHZ radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (r.f. PECVD) by using nanoscale Cu dots surface on a Si (100) substrate. FE-SEM, AFM analysis showed that the after repeated deposition and plasma induced damage with Ar ions, the surface was nanoscale undulated. This phenomenon changed the surface morphology of DLC surface. Raman spectra of film with changed morphology revealed that the plasma induced damage with Ar ions significantly suppressed the graphitization of DLC structure. Also, it was observed that while the untreated flat DLC surfaces had wetting angle starting ranged from $72^{\circ}$ and adhesion force of 333ni. Had wetting angle the undulated DLC surfaces, which resemble the surface morphology of a cylindrical shape, increased up to $104^{\circ}$ and adhesion force decreased down to 11 nN. The measurements agree with Hertz and JKR models. The surface undulation was affected mainly by several factors: the surface morphology affinity to cylindrical shape, reduction of the real area of contact and air pockets trapped in cylindrical asperities of the surface.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.552-561
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• 2012

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been widely used in many industrial applications because of their outstanding mechanical and chemical properties like hardness, wear resistance, lubricous property, chemical stability, and uniformity of deposition. Also, DLC films coated on paper, polymer, and metal substrates have been extensively used. In this work, in order to improve the printing quality and plate wear of polymer printing plates, different deposition conditions were used for depositing DLC on the polymer printing plates using the Pulsed DC PECVD method. The deposition temperature of the DLC films was under $100^{\circ}C$, in order to prevent the deformation of the polymer plates. The properties of each DLC coating on the polymer concave printing plate were analyzed by measuring properties such as the roughness, surface morphology, chemical bonding, hardness, plate wear resistance, contact angle, and printing quality of DLC films. From the results of the analysis of the properties of each of the different DLC deposition conditions, the deposition conditions of DLC + F and DLC + Si + F were found to have been successful at improving the printing quality and plate wear of polymer printing plates because the properties were improved compared to those of polymer concave printing plates.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 1998

Multi-layer diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were deposited by 13.56 MHz r.f. PACVD method. Multi-layer DLC film was composed of 2.5 $mu extrm{m}$ thick pure DLC filml and 0.2$\mu\textrm{m}$ thick Si incorporated DLC (Si-DLC) film as a surface layer. Tribological behaviors of the multi-layer DLC film were investigated with a ball-on-disk type tribometer in ambient atmosphere using AISI 52100 steel ball. Low friction coefficient (<0.1) period increased with increasing the Si content in the surface Si-DLC film. The wear rate after 44,000 cycles and 158,400 cycles were the $2.5\times10^{-8}\sim1.8\times10^{-7}\textrm{mm}^3$/rev. and $7.1\times10^{-9}\sim1.8\times10^{-8}\textrm{mm}^3$/rev.,respectively. The wear rate of the multi-layer DLC film after 158,400 cycles was about 2 times smaller than that of pure DLC films of 2.7 $\mu\textrm{m}$ thickness. This high wear resistance and low friction coefficient was caused by the formation of Si oxide layer on the wear scar surface, as confirmed by the debris composition analysis. It was further shown that this si oxide debris layer on the wear scar surface is formed again even after removing the debris of the steel ball, which maintain the low friction coefficient between multi-layer DLC films and steel ball.

• 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.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.179-188
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• 2021

Reputed for their low friction coefficient and wear protection effect, diamond-like carbon (DLC) materials are considered amongst the most important lubricant coatings for tribological applications. In this framework, this investigation aims to elucidate the effect of a few operating parameters, such as applied stress and sliding amplitude on the friction lifetime of DLC coatings. Fretting wear tests are conducted using a 12.7 mm radius counterpart of 52100 steel balls slid against a substrate of the same material coated with a 2 ㎛ thickness DLC. Approximately, 5 to 57 N force is applied, generating a maximum Hertzian contact pressure of 430 to 662 MPa, corresponding to the applied force. The coefficient of friction (CoF) generates three regimes, first a running-in period regime, followed by a steady-state evolution regime, and finally a progressive increase of the CoF reaching the steel CoF value, as an indicator of reaching the substrate. To track the wear scenario, interrupted tests are performed with analysis combining scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), 3D profilometer and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results show two endurance values: one characterizing the coating failure (Nc₁), and the other (Nc₂) indicating the friction failure which is situated where the CoF reaches a threshold value of μ_th = 0.3 in the third regime. The Archard energy density factor is used to determine the two endurance values (Nc₁, Nc₂). Based on this approach, a master curve is established delimitating both the coating and the friction endurances.