Synthesis and characterization of nickel-doped diamond-like carbon film electrodeposited at a low voltage

A simple and effective electrodeposition process was established to synthesize nickel-doped diamond-like carbon (Ni-doped DLC) film. The morphology, composition, and microstructure of the film were investigated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman scattering spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, a UMT-2 universal micro-tribometer was used to evaluate the friction and wear behavior of the Ni-doped DLC film. Results show the incorporation of nickel contributes to effectively decrease the residual stress and increase the bonding strength of the DLC film, which results in significantly increased wear resistance of the Ni-doped DLC film. Further work is needed to clarify the real reason why Ni doping leads to decreased residual stress and bonding strength of the DLC film.