Nanostructured coatings of diamond-like carbon: Deposition and modification of amorphous carbon films by pulsed plasma technology (Omn.Univ.Europ.)

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) is an amorphous allotrope of carbon showing intermediate electric (graphitic) and mechanical (diamond) properties. DLC thin films are usually prepared by magnetron sputtering and plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. For some applications, it is necessary to deposit DLC coatings with modified properties. One process consists in adding metal atoms into the amorphous DLC matrix. Moreover, the use of pulsed power supplies is becoming dominant in the industrial production of hard coatings. In this work, DLC and metal-DLC films were deposited by pulsed plasma technology and showed modulated surface properties. The production of DLC with modified nanostructure is adequate for applications requiring advanced functionality coatings: cutting tools, sensors and devices, optical systems and biomedical implants assure the versatility of this material.