Characterization of structural and mechanical properties of DLC films deposited on the surface of minute-scale 3D objects: Comparison of PECVD and FCVA deposition technique

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have received considerable attention owing to its excellent properties such as high hardness, low friction coefficient, high wear resistance, and chemical inertness. Because DLC film is considered an effective coating to improve the surface properties of materials, these films are used in various applications such as parts for automobile engines, hard disk surfaces, cutting tools and dies, and so on. The structure of the DLC film consists of a mixture of sp2- and sp3-bonded carbon atoms. Among them, the tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) film is known to be the hardest film owing to its diamond-like structure composed mainly of sp3-bonded carbon atoms. The most common deposition method for synthesizing ta-C is the filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) method. This method can remove the droplets that are non-ionic neutral species, and a high-quality film can be synthesized. However, the mechanical parts that require ta-C coating have a three-dimensional (3-D) shape, and it is difficult to coat the ta-C film on their entire surface conformity by the FCVA process. In this study, we deposited ta-C on three-dimensional parts by the FCVA method and evaluated the microstructure and surface morphology of the film in comparison with the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. Films were successfully coated over the entire surface of both millimeter- and nanometer-sized trench patterns. The film properties were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, SEM, nanoindentation tester and transmission electron microscopy.