The surface composition of cemented tungsten carbide (WC-5.8 wt% Co) was st
udied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), during the early stages of
diamond-film deposition, by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD)
, The nucleated diamond films were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy
(SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS),and automatic image analysis (
AIA). The evolution of the surface composition of cemented tungsten carbide
during the early stages of diamond-film deposition was strongly dependent
on the substrate temperature, At relatively Low temperature (750 degrees C)
, cobalt-rich particles started to segregate at the substrate surface after
a few minutes of diamond deposition. The conspicuous seg regation of the b
inder partly inhibited the formation of stable diamond nuclei, through inte
nse carbon dissolution or carbon segregation at the binder surface, but did
not affect nucleic growth. At higher temperatures (940 degrees C), no coba
lt-rich particles formed at the substrate surface, even after 2 h of deposi
tion. However, XPS results demonstrated the presence of cobalt in a surface
layer, although in a lower amount than at 750 degrees C. Nevertheless, the
nucleation density of diamond at 940 degrees C was much lower than at 750
degrees C, Gaps between WC grains formed within 10 mins. Therefore, intergr
anular cobalt was removed at 940 degrees C, a finding attributed to the etc
hing performed by monohydrogen, rather than to binder evaporation. The time
evolution of the substrate area fraction covered by diamond islands, S(t),
was well described by Avrami kinetics for two-dimensional phase transforma
tions, suggesting that dia mend formation took place via a heterogeneous nu
cleation process. The S(t) functions exhibited a similar trend at 750 degre
es and 940 degrees C, because the higher growth rate of diamond crystallite
s at higher temperature counteracted the slower nucleation rate at the high
er temperature.