Ti-containing hydrogenated carbon films fabricated by high-power plasma magnetron sputtering

To improve the characteristics of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film, Ti-containing amorphous hydrogenated carbon thin films were deposited on sus304 stainless steel substrates by high-power plasma-sputtering with titanium metal as the solid plasma source in a mixed ArC2H2 atmosphere. The films were fabricated to obtain a multilayered structure of Ti/TiC/DLC gradient for improving adhesion and reducing residual stress. The effects of substrate bias and target-substrate distance on the films' properties were studied by glow discharge spectroscope, X-ray diffractometer, Raman spectroscope, nanoindenter, and a pin-on-disk tribometer. The results indicate that the films possess superior adhesive strength and toughness.