Wear-resistant multilayered diamond-like carbon coating prepared by pulse biased arc ion plating

Diamond-like carbon coatings have been deposited by a pulse biased arc ion plating. In order to improve their adherence to metal substrate, two systems of graded transition layers, namely Ti/TiN/TiC and Ti/TiCN/TIC, have been applied. The structure and composition of the diamond-like carbon/transition composite coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The total thickness of the coatings was within a range of 1.0-2.0 mum. Such multi-layer coatings showed excellent properties including high hardness, low friction coefficient and long wear-resistant lifetime. Diamond like carbon coatings as well as their wear tracks developed by sliding steel balls have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The results of the analysis, particularly that of the tribological study showed that the wear resistance and film-to-substrate adherence of diamond like carbon coatings with stainless steel surface were dramatically improved by using a graded transition layer and pulse biased arc ion plating. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.