ION-BEAM-ASSISTED DEPOSITION OF DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON ONTO STEEL MATERIALS - PREPARATION AND ADVANTAGES

Ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) was used to prepare diamond-like c arbon (DLC) film on steel materials at nearly room temperature. The fi lms were synthesized by Ar+ beam sputtering of a chromium interlayer o n the steel and concurrent bombardment by a mixture of Ne+-CHn+ with a n energy of 300 eV. Owing to energetic Ar+ dynamic mixing at an early stage of chromium and carbon deposition, atomic intermixed layers at t he DLC-Cr-steel interface and chromium carbide at the DLC-Cr interface were formed. Tribological experiments demonstrated that DLC films wit h the special interfacial structure undewent even wear under high Hert zian stresses of 2.55-3.22 GPa with low friction coefficients of 0.025 -0.036. Low energy ion bombardment and gradient interfacial designs pr omise enhanced tribological performance of DLC films deposited onto st eel substrates using IBAD. This may present a useful method for the de position of DLC coatings onto steel devices for surface modification a t room temperature.