Tribological properties of amorphous carbon thin films grown by magnetron sputtering method

Thin films of amorphous carbon (a-C) generally combine high wear resistance with low friction coefficients. In this study, the amorphous carbon (a-C) films are deposited on silicon with a close field unbalanced magnetron (CFUBM) sputtering system. The experimental data are obtained on the deposition rate and tribological properties of a-C films using DC bias voltage. The films are analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and AFM (atomic force microscopy). The tribological properties are investigated by hardness and friction coefficient measurements.