MANUFACTURE OF AMORPHOUS-CARBON LAYERS BY RF DENSE-PLASMA CVD

The results of experimental studies on the manufacture of amorphous ca rbon layers by a new method of r.f. dense plasma CVD are presented. Th e idea of this method is to excite a plasma in methane or other hydroc arbons in an r.f. electric field at a relatively high gas pressure of about 50-400 Pa. The Vickers hardness of the amorphous diamond layers obtained was about 9000 VHN. Amorphous diamond coatings produced by th e r.f. dense CH4 plasma method on AISI 316L steel used in surgery were investigated to determine their suitability as biomaterials.