Compositional, structural and mechanical characteristics of nc-TiC/a-C:H nanocomposite films

Nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C:H films, with an unusual combination of superhardness, high elastic modulus and high elastic recovery, are prepared by filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique using the C2H2 gas as the precursor. The effects of filter coil current on compositional, structural and mechanical properties of the nc-TiC/a-C:H films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS), microindentation and tribotester measurements. XPS and Raman analyses show that composition and nanostructure of the nc-TiC/a-C:H films can be changed by varying the filter coil current. By selecting the proper value of filter coil current, 2.5 A, one can remarkably enhance the mechanical properties of films such as superhardness (43.6 GPa). The superhardness can be ascribed to the phase variation and the nanostructure.