TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SMOOTH DIAMOND FILMS

The friction and wear properties of smooth diamond coatings sliding ag ainst a monocrystalline ruby ball. were studied using a pin-on-disk tr ibometer. The smooth diamond film surface was prepared either by (i) d eposition of ultrathin nanocrystalline films in the thickness range fr om 0.2 to 2 mu m or by (ii) postgrowth polishing. Excimer laser surfac e ablation, microwave plasma etching and mechanical lapping with diamo nd grit were used for postgrowth polishing. A correlation of film surf ace properties examined with different techniques (atomic force micros copy, Auger electron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, stylus profilom etry) and the tribological properties of the diamond films tested was established. The influence of laser-induced surface graphitization on the friction coefficient of laser-polished films was investigated.