Studies of the composition, mechanical and electrical properties of N-doped carbon films prepared by DC-MFCAD

N-doped carbon films were prepared on Si(1 0 0) and Ti–6Al–4V substrates using direct current magnetically filtered cathodic arc deposition (DC-MFCAD) at room temperature for various different N2 pressures. The structure and composition of the films were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Ball-on-disk and microhardness tests were used to characterize the mechanical properties of the films, and Hall effect tests were employed to study the electrical properties.