Heat resistance of fluorinated diamond-like carbon films

The heat resistance of fluorinated diamond-like carbon (F-DLC) films produc ed by Plasma Immersion Ion Processing (PIIP) technique was investigated by annealing F-DLC coatings in a vacuum furnace. The growth rate for the F-DLC films was approximately 0.6 mum/h. In order to see the possible change in the composition and properties of the F-DLC films, Rutherford Backscatterin g Spectrometry (RBS), nanoindentation and contact angle measurements were p erformed before and after the heat treatments. The results show that the co mposition and properties of the F-DLC films were unchanged up to heat treat ment at 300 degreesC for up to 30 min. Blistering and film delamination occ urred for samples treated at 400 degreesC. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.