PLASMA-ASSISTED DEPOSITION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TI-CONTAINING DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON COATINGS

We report on the synthesis of Ti-containing diamondlike hydrocarbon (T i-DLC) coatings by plasma-assisted physical vapor deposition and the c haracterization of coating microstructure and mechanical properties. W e find that Ti-DLC coatings with Ti compositions higher than 5.5 at. % an composites consisting of nanocrystalline TiC in an amorphous hydro carbon matrix. The hardness and elastic modulus of Ti-DLC coatings are found to increase monotonically with increasing Ti composition, while the ratio of the hardness to the modulus remains approximately consta nt. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(98)07511-2].