Structure and mechanical properties of low temperature magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline (nc-)Ti(N,C)/amorphous diamond like carbon (a-C:H) coatings

C. Tsotsos; M. A. Baker; K. Polychronopoulou; P. N. Gibson; K. Giannakopoulos; A. A. Polycarpou; K. Böbel; C. Rebholz

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2010.07.049

Structure and mechanical properties of low temperature magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline (nc-)Ti(N,C)/amorphous diamond like carbon (a-C:H) coatings

C. Tsotsos, M. A. Baker, K. Polychronopoulou, P. N. Gibson, K. Giannakopoulos, A. A. Polycarpou, K. Böbel, C. Rebholz

Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

This paper reports on the structure and mechanical properties of ∼ 2 μm thick nanocomposite (nc-) Ti(N,C)/amorphous diamond like carbon (a-C:H) coatings deposited on 100Cr6 steel substrates, using low temperature (∼ 200 °C) DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The carbon content was varied with acetylene partial pressure in order to obtain single layer coatings with different a-C:H carbon phase fractions. The nanocrystalline Ti(N,C) phase is approximately stoichiometric for all coatings and the a-C:H phase fraction increases from 31 to 47 at.% as the coatings stoichiometry changed from TiC _1.34 N_0.51 to TiC_2.48 N_0.48, respectively. TiC_1.34 N_0.51 coatings showed the highest nanoindentation hardness (H) of ∼ 14 GPa and a modulus (E_r) of ∼ 144 GPa; H reduced to < 6 GPa and E_r to < 70 GPa for TiC_2.48 N_0.48 coatings. nc-Ti(N,C)/a-C:H coatings are promising candidates for applications where better matching of the modulus between a relatively low modulus substrate, hard loading support layer and low modulus-high H/E ratio top layer is required.

Original language	British English
Pages (from-to)	24-30
Number of pages	7
Journal	Thin Solid Films
Volume	519
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2010.07.049
State	Published - 29 Oct 2010

Keywords

Amorphous hydrogenated carbon
Magnetron sputtering
Mechanical properties
Microstructures
Nanocomposite
X-ray diffraction
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

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10.1016/j.tsf.2010.07.049

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@article{7d7bc57e43154aa7b16ecc8f85afb6e2,

title = "Structure and mechanical properties of low temperature magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline (nc-)Ti(N,C)/amorphous diamond like carbon (a-C:H) coatings",

abstract = "This paper reports on the structure and mechanical properties of ∼ 2 μm thick nanocomposite (nc-) Ti(N,C)/amorphous diamond like carbon (a-C:H) coatings deposited on 100Cr6 steel substrates, using low temperature (∼ 200 °C) DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The carbon content was varied with acetylene partial pressure in order to obtain single layer coatings with different a-C:H carbon phase fractions. The nanocrystalline Ti(N,C) phase is approximately stoichiometric for all coatings and the a-C:H phase fraction increases from 31 to 47 at.% as the coatings stoichiometry changed from TiC 1.34 N0.51 to TiC2.48 N0.48, respectively. TiC1.34 N0.51 coatings showed the highest nanoindentation hardness (H) of ∼ 14 GPa and a modulus (Er) of ∼ 144 GPa; H reduced to < 6 GPa and Er to < 70 GPa for TiC2.48 N0.48 coatings. nc-Ti(N,C)/a-C:H coatings are promising candidates for applications where better matching of the modulus between a relatively low modulus substrate, hard loading support layer and low modulus-high H/E ratio top layer is required.",

keywords = "Amorphous hydrogenated carbon, Magnetron sputtering, Mechanical properties, Microstructures, Nanocomposite, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy",

author = "C. Tsotsos and Baker, {M. A.} and K. Polychronopoulou and Gibson, {P. N.} and K. Giannakopoulos and Polycarpou, {A. A.} and K. B{\"o}bel and C. Rebholz",

note = "Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation (project Y./B./0308(BE)/14 ) and the European Commission (FP6 Marie Curie Actions, project EXT-0023899 —NanoHeaters). The provision of coating equipment and materials by Robert Bosch GmbH is acknowledged with thanks. Thanks also to Dr. S.J. Hinder (MSSU, University of Surrey) for assistance with XPS work and to the colleagues in Advanced Coatings Engineering lab at the University of Cyprus for constructive discussions. ",

year = "2010",

month = oct,

day = "29",

doi = "10.1016/j.tsf.2010.07.049",

language = "British English",

volume = "519",

pages = "24--30",

journal = "Thin Solid Films",

issn = "0040-6090",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Structure and mechanical properties of low temperature magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline (nc-)Ti(N,C)/amorphous diamond like carbon (a-C:H) coatings

AU - Tsotsos, C.

AU - Baker, M. A.

AU - Polychronopoulou, K.

AU - Gibson, P. N.

AU - Giannakopoulos, K.

AU - Polycarpou, A. A.

AU - Böbel, K.

AU - Rebholz, C.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation (project Y./B./0308(BE)/14 ) and the European Commission (FP6 Marie Curie Actions, project EXT-0023899 —NanoHeaters). The provision of coating equipment and materials by Robert Bosch GmbH is acknowledged with thanks. Thanks also to Dr. S.J. Hinder (MSSU, University of Surrey) for assistance with XPS work and to the colleagues in Advanced Coatings Engineering lab at the University of Cyprus for constructive discussions.

PY - 2010/10/29

Y1 - 2010/10/29

N2 - This paper reports on the structure and mechanical properties of ∼ 2 μm thick nanocomposite (nc-) Ti(N,C)/amorphous diamond like carbon (a-C:H) coatings deposited on 100Cr6 steel substrates, using low temperature (∼ 200 °C) DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The carbon content was varied with acetylene partial pressure in order to obtain single layer coatings with different a-C:H carbon phase fractions. The nanocrystalline Ti(N,C) phase is approximately stoichiometric for all coatings and the a-C:H phase fraction increases from 31 to 47 at.% as the coatings stoichiometry changed from TiC 1.34 N0.51 to TiC2.48 N0.48, respectively. TiC1.34 N0.51 coatings showed the highest nanoindentation hardness (H) of ∼ 14 GPa and a modulus (Er) of ∼ 144 GPa; H reduced to < 6 GPa and Er to < 70 GPa for TiC2.48 N0.48 coatings. nc-Ti(N,C)/a-C:H coatings are promising candidates for applications where better matching of the modulus between a relatively low modulus substrate, hard loading support layer and low modulus-high H/E ratio top layer is required.

AB - This paper reports on the structure and mechanical properties of ∼ 2 μm thick nanocomposite (nc-) Ti(N,C)/amorphous diamond like carbon (a-C:H) coatings deposited on 100Cr6 steel substrates, using low temperature (∼ 200 °C) DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The carbon content was varied with acetylene partial pressure in order to obtain single layer coatings with different a-C:H carbon phase fractions. The nanocrystalline Ti(N,C) phase is approximately stoichiometric for all coatings and the a-C:H phase fraction increases from 31 to 47 at.% as the coatings stoichiometry changed from TiC 1.34 N0.51 to TiC2.48 N0.48, respectively. TiC1.34 N0.51 coatings showed the highest nanoindentation hardness (H) of ∼ 14 GPa and a modulus (Er) of ∼ 144 GPa; H reduced to < 6 GPa and Er to < 70 GPa for TiC2.48 N0.48 coatings. nc-Ti(N,C)/a-C:H coatings are promising candidates for applications where better matching of the modulus between a relatively low modulus substrate, hard loading support layer and low modulus-high H/E ratio top layer is required.

KW - Amorphous hydrogenated carbon

KW - Magnetron sputtering

KW - Mechanical properties

KW - Microstructures

KW - Nanocomposite

KW - X-ray diffraction

KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77957710540&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.tsf.2010.07.049

DO - 10.1016/j.tsf.2010.07.049

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:77957710540

SN - 0040-6090

VL - 519

SP - 24

EP - 30

JO - Thin Solid Films

JF - Thin Solid Films

IS - 1

ER -

Structure and mechanical properties of low temperature magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline (nc-)Ti(N,C)/amorphous diamond like carbon (a-C:H) coatings

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Keywords

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