Structural and mechanical properties of nc-TiC/a-C:H nanocomposite film prepared by dual plasma technique

Nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C:H film, with an unusual combination of superhardness, high elastic modulus and high elastic recovery, are prepared by using the dual plasma technique. The effects of the filter coil current on the compositional, structural and mechanical properties of the nc-TiC/a-C:H films have been investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman analyses show that deposition rate, composition and nanostructure of the nc-TiC/a-C:H films could be changed by varying the filter coil current. Fortunately, by selecting the proper value for the filter coil current, 2.5 A, one could remarkably enhance mechanical properties of films such as the superhardness (66.4 GPa), the high elastic modulus (510 GPa) and the high elastic recovery (83.3%).