Synthesis and tribological behaviors of diamond-like carbon films by electrodeposition from solution of acetonitrile and water

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were prepared on silicon substrates by liquid phase electrodeposition from a mixture of acetonitrile and deionized water. The deposition voltage was clearly reduced owing to the presence of deionized water in the electrolyte by changing the basic properties (dielectric constant and dipole moment) of the electrolyte. Raman spectra reveal that the ratio of sp3/sp2 in the DLC films is related to the concentration of acetonitrile. The surface roughness and grain morphology determined by atomic force microscopy are also influenced by the concentration of the acetonitrile. The UMT-2 universal micro-tribometer was used to test the friction properties of the DLC films obtained from electrolytes with different concentration. The results convey that the DLC film prepared from the electrolyte containing 10 vol.% acetonitrile has the better surface morphology and friction behavior comparing with the other. In addition the growth mechanism of the film was also discussed.