We describe here the deposition of thin films using magnetron sputtering at oblique angles. General relations between the deposition rates of the films and experimental parameters, such as gas pressure or substrate tilt angles, are deduced and experimentally tested. The model also permits the direct determination of the thermalization mean free path of the sputtered…
Highly fluorinated polymeric (CFX), fluorine containing diamond-like carbon (F-DLC) and, for comparison, diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been plasma deposited in a RF parallel plate reactor by using c-C4F8 as fluorine precursor and different mixtures of argon, C2H2, and H2. Plasmas have been characterized by optical emission spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and Langmuir probe measurements. Differences…
This commentary addresses the problem of determining surface roughness values and their use to assess the wetting behavior of surfaces. For very rough surfaces it is shown that depending on the observation scale by atomic force microscopy (AFM) quite different RMS roughness values can be obtained and that only the values taken at saturation can…
The local structure of TiBC and amorphous carbon (a-C) nanocomposite films (TiBC/a-C) was correlated with their optical and electrical properties. TiBC/a-C films with increasing C content were deposited by magnetron co-sputtering from TiC:TiB2 (60:40) and graphite targets. Chemical composition is determined by electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction reveals that the microstructure of the…
Nanocomposite coatings combining hard phases (TiB2, TiC) with an amorphous carbon (a-C) were developed to provide a good compromise between mechanical and tribological properties for M2 steels used in a wide variety of applications such as cutting tools, bearings and gear mechanisms. A combined d.c.-pulsed and r.f.-magnetron deposition process was used to deposit nanocomposite TiBC/a-C…
Diamond like carbon (DLC) thin films have been exposed to different nitrogen containing plasmas. A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure and a microwave discharge (MW) at low pressure using N2 and mixtures Ar + NH3 have been compared. Optical Emission and X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopies, Atomic Force Microscopy and contact angle measurements have been used for…
In this work, a series of WC/C nanostructured films were deposited on silicon substrates by changing the ratio of sputtering power applied to graphite and WC magnetron sources (PC/PWC: 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1). The thermal stability of WC/C coatings was followed in situ by means of X-ray diffraction measurements up to 1 100 °C in vacuum (10−1…
Nanocomposite films composed by small crystallites of hard phases embedded in an amorphous lubricant matrix have been extensively studied as protective coatings. These kinds of coatings have often to work in extreme environments, exposed to high temperatures (above 800–900 °C), and/or oxidizing/corrosive atmospheres, which may resist. As a result, it is important to study the behavior…
Mechanically stable and insoluble fluorescent thin films have been deposited by sublimating Rhodamine 6G laser dye in the downstream region of a low-power microwave ECR plasma using an experimental set-up designed to control the interaction of the dye molecule with the glow discharge. The use of reactive organosilane plasmas allows to control the dye distribution…
Mechanically stable and insoluble fluorescent thin films have been deposited by sublimating Rhodamine 6G laser dye in the downstream region of a low-power microwave ECR plasma using an experimental set-up designed to control the interaction of the dye molecule with the glow discharge. The use of reactive organosilane plasmas allows to control the dye distribution…