Friction measurements of CNx and TiCxNy films by scanning force microscopy

Coatings of CNx and TiCxNy are of great technological interest because of their potential for use as hard and wear-resistant coatings. In this work, CNx and TiCxNy films have been grown on Si(100) substrates in a dual ion beam sputtering (DIBS) system with different experimental conditions. The films were characterized by XPS and AES depth profiles in order to determine their surface stoichiometry, in addition to the in-depth distribution of the components and contaminants in the film and at the interface. However, the main goal of this work was the study of the morphology and Friction properties of these films using scanning force microscopy, Comparative analysis between the CNx and TiCxNy films and an amorphous carbon sample used as a reference indicates the good tribological properties of these films, A correlation between the N/C ratio and the friction coefficient was determined. In general, the F-F vs. F-N curves show a 2/3 potential dependence for low loads followed by a linear dependence at high loads. The power law indicates that single asperity geometry should be assumed, Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.