Papers by Keyword: PACVD

Abstract: Carbon deposition forming a nanolayer on a light alloy substrate is a physico-chemical process of the discrete type in all of its aspects. Thus, use of cellular automata, intrinsic discrete, as a mathematical tool for modelling, is fully justified. We adopted two-dimensional (i.e. surface), two-layer automation with Moore vicinity of a cell, for modelling of the carbon deposition process, starting from bonding to the light alloy substrate, leading through layer growth and finishing at the phase transition process, converting graphite into diamond form. To achieve this, we related the transition probabilities of the automaton with the Lennard-Jones potentials for carbon and metal atoms, as well as the physico-chemical conditions in the reaction environment gaseous hydrocarbons density and their particles energy distribution (Maxwell). Taking it into account allowed us to establish an automation time scale of about 1s per calculations run, which has resulted in a simulated layer thickness growth rate well matched with observed results. Using of the two-layer automation allowed us to make some survey into the mechanism of the graphite/diamond transition in the real environmental conditions we met. This demanded further thorough investigations to properly model the spatial structure of mutually interleaved areas of the graphite and diamond type carbon, giving not only a flat-surface but also a vertical structure. The overall surface morphology of the simulated nanolayer we have compared with those of AFM survey performed on real samples, observing relatively good matching in terms of statistical parameters of the surface.

Abstract: A comparison of the mechanical behavior of double-layer (TiN/TiC) coatings with a single-layer (TiN andTiC) coatings has been done in this paper. All coatings with the thickness of 2-3 μm were deposited onto H13 hot work tool steel, by the technique of the plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD). Compositional and structural properties were investigated by the glancing-angle X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Coating mechanical characterizations were also investigated by the knoop hardness indentation; the pin on disc wear test and the atomic force microscopy (AFM) for assessing the hardness, the wear resistance, the surface topology and roughness variations. Mechanical properties such as the hardness, the wear resistance and the surface roughness were changed when the materail type of layers in coatings was variable. The TiN/TiC coatings showed the maximum microhardness (>27 GPa) and had a better wear resistance than the single-layer coatings. Lower surface roughness was also related to the TiC coating.

Abstract: One way of obtaining new materials with different properties is to modify existing ones to improve their insufficient properties. Due to the fact that many of the useful properties of materials, including wear and corrosion resistance, friction coefficient and biocompatibility, depend on the state of the surface, modern surface engineering methods are especially helpful. They involve the deposition of the layers with tailored chemical composition and structure. In terms of medical applications, amorphous or nanocrystalline layers containing carbon, nitrogen, silicon and hydrogen appear to be the most suitable. They combine the beneficial properties of silicon carbide SiC and silicon nitride Si₃N₄, and thus exhibit a strong resistance to oxidation at high temperatures, high modulus of elasticity, low friction coefficient and wear resistance. However, silicon carbonitride compound is not stable thermodynamically in normal conditions and therefore it must be obtained by non-conventional synthesis. One of such method is Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition (PACVD). The authors of this paper anticipate that the modification of titanium surface by SiC_xN_y(H) layers make them proper for use as materials for long-term contact with human body. It contains results of research on titanium Ti Grade 2 surface modification by deposition amorphous carbon layers doped with nitrogen (a-C:N:H) and silicon carbonitride layers SiC_xN_y(H). What is more, for IR analysis, in the same plasmochemical methods process obtain layers on monocrystaline silicon (001)Si. The layers were synthesis by PACVD with plasma generated by radio waves (RFCVD, 400 W, 13.56 MHz) for a-C:N:H layers and microwaves (MWCVD, 2 kW, 2.45 GHz) for layers containing silicon, carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen. During deposition process metallic surface were ion-etching by argon plasma. The layers were obtained from reactive gas mixture containing CH₄, N₂ or NH₃ for a-C:N:H layers and CH₄, SiH₄, N₂ or NH₃ for silicon carbonitride compound. In this process argon was used as an inert gaseous. Process conditions allowing obtaining good adhesive layer to the metallic substrate were specified. Obtained systems were subject for further research. Chemical composition of the materials were studied by SEM / EDS techniques with application ETD and BSED detectors. Compared images registered for titanium before surface modification and surfaces covered by a-C:N:H or SiC_xN_y(H) layers. More information about layers structure provided FTIR spectroscopy. Spectra FTIR was register transmition for (001)Si-layer and reflective for titanium-layer systems. Assessed the impact of different kind of substrate on the layers deposited structure. Operational properties of synergic layer-titanium systems were evaluated in the measurements of tribological parameters. This tests shown that silicon carbonitride layers have the lowest friction coefficient and the highest resistance to wear. Furthermore, it was possible, on the basis of the obtained result, to indicate directions the surface modifications ensuring optimization on their usable properties as medicine and another industries. In previous authors paper the layers were investigated in the aspect of possible application in medicine.

Abstract: With the appliance of the development of modern technologies in the areas of surface engineering and related applications, the definition of the term hard coatings can be extended by the Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (PACVD) method. This is a cost-effective plasma deposition process, which can be used to improve surface layer properties, e.g. hardness and wear resistance of aluminium, but also magnesium alloy parts by creating a resistant thick coating on the component surface. In this paper there have been presented results of the structure and mechanical properties investigations of crystalline diamond-like carbon gradient/monolithic coatings (Ti/DLC/DLC) deposited onto magnesium alloy (Mg-Al) and aluminium alloy (Al-Si-Cu) substrate by Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (PACVD). A thin metallic layer (Ti) was deposited prior to deposition of gradient coatings to improve adhesion. Microstructure investigation was performed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Tests of the coatings adhesion to the substrate material were made using the scratch test. As an implication for the practice a new layer sequence can be possible to develop, based on PACVD technique. Wear test were performed using the ball-on-disk method.

Abstract: In recent years, plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) has been introduced as a suitable technique to deposit hard coatings on to tools of complex geometries. This study focuses on the influence of process parameters during plasma nitriding and TiN coatings, such as duty cycle, treatment time and temperature parameters on the properties of nanostructured binary layers. To improve performance and the quality of the samples, a duplex process combining a plasma nitriding (PN) pre-treatment and a plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition (PACVD) was applied on the steel surface. A mixture of H2, N2, Ar and TiCl4 was used to deposit a thin film of TiN on H11 steel. The microstructural, mechanical and tribological properties of the coating were investigated using X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy combined with nanoindentation and pin-on-disc measurements. The results indicate that the small grain size was obtained at low duty cycle (33%) and increased with increasing of the duty cycle to 60 %. Calculated roughness of surface for duty cycle 50 % was 72 nm.

Abstract: In the present work, a-C:H films have been grown from argon/methane gas mixtures by Electron Cyclotron Resonance Chemical Vapour Deposition (ECRCVD). The effect of the application of a dc bias voltage to the silicon substrate material on the structural, morphological and mechanical properties of the films has been explored by multiple analysis techniques such as IR and micro-Raman spectroscopy, AFM, nano-indentation and pin-ondisk wear testing. In general, within the range of –300 V to +100 V applied substrate bias we have observed a strong correlation between all measured properties of the grown a-C:H films and the ion energy. Though it is known that the ion energy is one of the crucial parameters in plasma grown films, this work clearly shows that the properties of the a-C:H layers can differ greatly and indicates a threshold energy for the production of hard, low-friction coatings in the order of 80-90 eV. Moreover, this threshold energy is also combined with a sharp transition from rough, cauliflower-like film surfaces towards ultrasmooth, featureless topographies. This correlation suggests that at energies higher than 80 eV the ion bombardment affects simultaneously the surface morphology and the internal bonding structure.