Deformation behavior and interfacial sliding in carbon/copper nanocomposite films deposited by high power DC magnetron sputtering

• Copper-rich carbon/copper nanocomposite films have been obtained by a high-rate DC magnetron sputtering.
• Nanoindentation shows the hardness of films to be 2–4 GPa with plasticity approaching that of pure copper.
• Interfacial sliding processes are involved in the plastic deformation of films with 90 at.% Cu.

Amorphous carbon–copper nanocomposite films with a carbon content from 7 to 40 at.% have been deposited onto steel, silicon and glass substrates using a high power (> 60 W/cm2) and high-rate DC magnetron sputtering technique. XRD, Raman spectroscopy and TEM results confirm that the deposited films consist of copper nanograins (size < 20 nm) incorporated within the matrix of amorphous carbon (a-C). The structure of films varies from fragmented columnar at the highest copper contents (around 90 at.% Cu) to disordered at increased carbon concentrations. Nanoindentation tests show a reasonable hardness of films (2–4 GPa) with a plasticity approaching that of a pure copper film. The ratio of the plastic work to the total work of the deformation at indentation for copper-rich films (above 90 at.% Cu) reaches up to 86%. The study of surface morphology of the deformation zone around indents in such films reveals localized zones of mutual sliding that indicate to a possible contribution of interfacial effects. The results of the structural and nanoindentation study characterize the a-C/Cu nanocomposite films as possible solid lubricants or as a plastic component for complex tribological coatings.