Characterization of amorphous Zr–Si–C thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering

• The Zr-content in a-Zr–Si–C films has a strong influence on the bond distribution.
• The film hardness shows a linear dependence upon the relative amount of SiCbonds.
• The friction coefficient is affected by the a-C and oxide content in tribofilm.
• The resistivity of the Zr–Si–C films decreases with increasing Zr content.

Zrx(SiyC1–y)1–x films with different Si/C atomic ratios and Zr contents were deposited using non-reactive dc-magnetron co-sputtering. All films exhibited an X-ray amorphous structure with a complex distribution of chemical bonds. The presence of Zr in the films reduced the amount of CC and SiC bonds but favored the formation of ZrC and ZrSi bonds. The mechanical and electrical properties were dependent on the bond distribution in the amorphous structure and a linear relationship between film hardness and the relative amount of SiC bonds was observed. The addition of Zr in films also gave rise to an increase in metallic character resulting in a lower electrical resistivity. Analysis of the tribofilm showed that a low friction coefficient was favored by the formation of a lubricating a-C layer and that the formation of zirconium and silicon oxides in the more Zr-rich films has a detrimental effect on the tribological performance.