Effect of source gas chemistry on tribological performance of diamond-like carbon films.
In this study, we investigated the effects of various source gases (i. e., methane, ethane, ethylene, acetylene and methane + hydrogen) on friction and wear performance of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. Specifically, we described the anomalous nature and fundamental friction and wear mechanisms of DLC films derived from gas discharge plasmas with very low to very high hydrogen content. The films were deposited on steel substrates by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process at room temperature and the tribological tests were performed in dry nitrogen. The results of tribological tests revealed a close correlation between the friction and wear coefficients of the DLC films and the source gas chemistry. Specifically, films grown in source gases with higher hydrogen-to-carbon ratios had much lower friction coefficients and wear rates than the films derived from source gases with lower hydrogen-to-carbon ratios. The lowest friction coefficient (0.002) was achieved with a film derived from 25% methane--75% hydrogen while the films derived from acetylene had a coefficient of 0.15. Similar correlations were observed on wear rates. Specifically, the films derived from hydrogen rich plasmas had the least wear while the films derived from pure acetylene suffered the highest wear. We used a combination of scanning and transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy to characterize the structural chemistry of the resultant DLC films.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 11834
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/ET/CP-99151; TRN: AH200118%%296
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 10th European Conference on Diamond, Diamond-Like Materials, Nitrides and Silicon Carbide, Prague (CZ), 09/12/1999--09/17/1999; Other Information: PBD: 23 Aug 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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