Effect of the pulsed laser deposition conditions on the tribological properties of thin-film nanostructured coatings based on molybdenum diselenide and carbon

The structural state and tribological properties of gradient and composite antifriction coatings produced by pulsed laser codeposition from MoSe2(Ni) and graphite targets are studied. The coatings are deposited onto steel substrates in vacuum and an inert gas, and an antidrop shield is used to prevent the deposition of micron-size particles from a laser jet onto the coating. The deposition of a laser jet from the graphite target and the application of a negative potential to the substrate ensure additional high-energy atom bombardment of growing coatings. Comparative tribological tests performed at a relative air humidity of ∼50% demonstrate that the “drop-free” deposition of a laser-induced atomic flux in the shield shadow significantly improves the antifriction properties of MoSex coatings, decreasing the friction coefficient from 0.07 to 0.04. The best tribological properties, which combine a low friction coefficient and high wear resistance, are detected in drop-free MoSex coatings additionally alloyed with carbon (up to ∼55 at %) and subjected to effective bombardment by high-energy atoms during growth. Under these conditions, a dense nanocomposite structure containing the self-lubricating MoSe2 phase and an amorphous carbon phase with a rather high concentration of diamond bonds forms.