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Adhesion Study of Dlc/Cr/Dlc and Dlc/Ti/Dlc Sandwich Structures on Hardened Steel
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Abstract
Hard amorphous hydrogenated carbon, also referred to as diamond-like carbon films, are of technological interest as protection coatings due to their special properties such as high hardness, low friction, low wear, chemical inertness and electrical insulation. In this paper a study of the adhesion properties of multilayer structures composed of DLC/Metal/DLC/substrate is presented. As substrates a ball and roller bearing steel (DIN 1.3505, AISI 52100) was used. After Ar plasma cleaning of the substrate, DLC films were deposited from acetylene gas by rf plasma chemical vapor deposition at a self-bias of -600V. Metal films were deposited in the same chamber by DC magnetron sputtering.
Adhesion of the different layers on the underlying layer was investigated by optical analysis of the coating at the border of Rockwell C indentations made into the substrate. If necessary, additional thin layers are deposited at the particular interface to ensure good adhesion. Further information on the interface quality and hence the adhesion is gained by a second optical analysis of the Rockwell indentation after exposure to ambient air for two weeks.
The multilayer structure containing titanium as the metal layer showed no ablation of the coating around the indentation even after two weeks of exposure to ambient air. Chromium on the other hand already showed some ablation immediately after the indentation as well as still ongoing ablation after two weeks. These results are further corroborated by pin-on-disc tests.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997
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