The effect of a pulsed plasma based substrate electron bombardment on the properties of sputtered CrC/a-C:H coatings

Research output: ThesisDiploma Thesis

Abstract

Pulsed plasma based electron bombardment of the substrate during deposition is an innovative approach for the design of coatings produced by physical vapour deposition (PVD). It leads to a stabilization of an internal structure looking like synthesized at a temperature higher than the effectively adjusted substrate temperature. This can be attractive for depositing films with a high temperature structure on substrates which do not support elevated temperatures. A modern and highly investigated class of materials very sensitive to thermal parameters is carbide containing diamond-like carbon. Hence, during the deposition of CrC/a-C:H coatings the bias voltage was superposed by a power supply delivering positive bias pulses up to a length of 60 ms and a pulse interval of several seconds. The deposition has been conducted by unbalanced magnetron sputtering of a chromium target in an Ar/CH4 atmosphere. Structural changes attributed to the positive bias pulsing have been identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, an improved thermal stability of the structure is evidenced by a high temperature x-ray diffraction pattern (HT-XRD) up to 800 °C. Dry sliding tests indicate a slight improvement of the tribological properties for relatively intensive pulsed coatings.

Details

Translated title of the contributionDer Einfluss eines gepulsten plasmaunterstützten Elektronenbeschusses des Substrats auf die Schichteigenschaften von gesputterten CrC/a-C:H
Original languageEnglish
Supervisors/Advisors
Award date16 Dec 2005
Publication statusPublished - 2005