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Substrate-independent stress–strain behavior of diamond-like carbon thin films by nanoindentation with a spherical tip

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2018

Naoki Fujisawa ,
Teng Fei Zhang ,
Oi Lun Li  and
Kwang Ho Kim
Naoki Fujisawa
Affiliation:
National Core Research Center for Hybrid Materials Solution, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Teng Fei Zhang
Affiliation:
National Core Research Center for Hybrid Materials Solution, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea; and Global Frontier R&D Center for Hybrid Interface Materials, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Oi Lun Li
Affiliation:
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Kwang Ho Kim*
Affiliation:
Global Frontier R&D Center for Hybrid Interface Materials, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea; and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: kwhokim@pusan.ac.kr
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Abstract

A method for extracting the substrate-independent stress–strain curves of thin films was developed using spherical nanoindentation to investigate the yield behavior of diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films with Young’s moduli of ∼73 GPa and ∼76 GPa. The resulting stress–strain curves showed that these films commence yielding at ∼13 GPa and ∼14 GPa, respectively. These yield strength values agree with the critical pressure necessary to initiate the transformation of sp2-bonded carbon into significantly harder sp3-bonded carbon, indicating that the yielding of the materials is associated with the sp2-to-sp3 phase transition. The ability of a DLC film to accommodate a progressively increasing contact stress with strain beyond the yield point while dissipating part of the accumulated strain energy, as evidenced in this work, implies a unique mechanism of the brittle material for passively mitigating contact deformation and fracture in tribological applications.

Keywords

stress/strain relationshipthin filmnanoindentation
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 33 , Issue 6 , 28 March 2018 , pp. 699 - 708
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2018 

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References

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