Dynamic smoothening and tribological properties of pulsed-DC sputtered DLC based nanocomposite films

Interface roughness and dynamic growth behavior of TiC/a-C nanocomposite films deposited by pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering were studied using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Upon increasing the intensity of concurrent ion impingement by raising the frequency of pulsed-DC sputtering, a transition from dynamic roughening to dynamic smoothening is revealed in the growth behavior of TiC/a-C nanocomposite films. Analyses of surface morphology and growth conditions imply that there is a transition of dominating growth mechanism from geometric shadowing to surface diffusion driven by impact-induced atomistic downhill flow process due to enhanced impingement of Ar+ ions, which occurs upon the change of pulse frequency from 100 kHz to 350 kHz. Also ultra-smooth TiC/a-C:H films were successfully grown on initial rough steel substrates (Sa similar to 6 nm) by pulsed-DC sputtering at 200 and 350 kHz frequency. These nanocomposite films exhibit superb toughness, vicar resistance and ultralow friction.