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Title: Physical properties of a-C:N films produced by ion beam assisted deposition

Journal Article · · Journal of Materials Research; (United States)
 [1];  [2]; ; ; ;  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Commission of the European Communities, Advanced Coating Centre, P. O. Box 2, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands)
  2. CEREM, Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires de Grenoble, BP85X 38041 Grenoble Cedex (France)
  3. IRI, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands)
  4. Pechiney CRV, BP 27 38040 Voreppe (France)
  5. Service de Metallurgie et Electrochimie, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 50 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, CP 165 1050 Bruxelles (Belgium)
  6. Center for Materials Science, MS K765, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87454 (United States)

Carbon films with up to 32 at. % of nitrogen have been prepared with ion beam assisted magnetron, using a N[sup +][sub 2]/N[sup +] beam at energies between 50 and 300 eV. The composition and density of the films vary strongly with the deposition parameters. EELS, SXS, XPS, and IR studies show that these a-C:N films are mostly graphitic and have up to 20% [ital sp][sup 3] bonding. Nitrogen is mostly combined with carbon in nitrile (C[equivalent to]N) and imine (C=N) groups. RBS and NDP show that density goes through a maximum as the average damage energy per incoming ion increases. Positron annihilation spectroscopy shows that the void concentration in the films goes through a minimum with average damage energy. These results are consistent with a densification induced by the collisions at low average damage energy values and induced graphitization at higher damage energy values. These results are similar to what is observed for Ar ion assisted deposition of a-C films. The mechanical properties of these films have been studied with a nanoindenter, and it was found that the hardness and Young's modulus go through a maximum as the average damage energy is increased. The maximum of mechanical properties corresponds to the minimum in the void concentration in the film. Tribological studies of the a-C:N show that the friction coefficient obtained against diamond under dynamic loading decreases strongly as the nitrogen composition increases, this effect being more pronounced at low loads.

OSTI ID:
6959940
Journal Information:
Journal of Materials Research; (United States), Vol. 9:9; ISSN 0884-2914
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English