# US 2014/0193594 A1 · Metal object with diamond-like carbon film and method for forming diamond-like carbon film > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193594 A1 - Document ID: US20140193594A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/233,927 - Filed: 2012-06-18 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-21 - Assignees: The University of Electro-Communications - Inventors: Katsumi Tanaka; Cheow Keong Choo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193594A1 ## CPC - C23C 16/27: Diamond only - C23C 16/0227: {by cleaning or etching} - C23C 16/045: {Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates} - C23C 16/26: Deposition of carbon only - C23C 16/46: characterised by the method used for heating the substrate (C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence) - Y10T 428/13: Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.] - Y10T 428/31678: Of metal - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A metallic film formation target which is an object on which a diamond-like carbon film is to be formed is placed in a flow channel through which film formation gas containing methane gas flows. The film formation gas is caused to flow at a predetermined flow rate through the flow channel during the process of raising the temperature of the film formation target from room temperature to a predetermined temperature. The film formation gas is thereby reacted with impurities in a film formation target surface for removal of the impurities from the film formation target surface and is further reacted with metallic elements exposed by the removal of impurities, thus forming a diamond-like carbon film on the film formation target surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A metal object with diamond-like carbon film, comprising: a metallic film formation target as an object on which a diamond-like carbon film is to be formed; and a diamond-like carbon film which is formed on a film formation target surface of the film formation target by placing the film formation target in a flow channel through which film formation gas containing methane gas flows; and causing the film formation gas to flow through the flow channel at a predetermined flow rate during a process of raising the temperature of the film formation target from room temperature to a predetermined temperature to allow the film formation gas to react with impurities in the film formation target surface for removal of the impurities from the film formation target surface and further to allow the film formation gas to react with a metallic element exposed by the removal of the impurities. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein the film formation target is a substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The metal with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein the film formation target is a tube material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 3, wherein the diamond-like carbon film is formed on a tube material inner surface as the film formation target surface by causing the film formation gas to flow through the tube material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein the diamond-like carbon film is formed by causing the film formation gas to flow while performing the process of raising the temperature of the film formation target from room temperature to the predetermined temperature after causing the film formation gas to flow at atmospheric pressure to replace gas in the flow channel with the film formation gas. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein the diamond-like carbon film is formed by using as the film formation gas, gas obtained by diluting methane gas with inert or nitrogen gas to a predetermined concentration. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate film rendering the diamond-like carbon film resistant to separation is formed by raising the temperature of the film formation target from room temperature to the predetermined temperature before the diamond-like carbon film is formed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is in a range from 400 to 900° C. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein in the process of raising the temperature at film formation of the diamond-like carbon film, the temperature of the film formation target is raised from room temperature to 800° C. for 2 to 8 hours. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 9, wherein when the time period taken to raise the temperature from room temperature to 800° C. is not less than 2 hours and less than 4 hours, the temperature is held at 800° C. for 4 hours or more after the process of raising the temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is in a range from 600 to 650° C. and the temperature is held for 5 to 9 hours after the process of raising the temperature. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein the diamond-like carbon film is cooled to room temperature after methane gas is eliminated from the flow channel by causing inert or nitrogen gas to flow through the flow channel at the end of film formation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The metal object with diamond-like carbon film according to claim 1, wherein in the Raman spectrum of the diamond-like carbon film, D and G peak signals are observed. ### Claim 14 A method of forming a diamond-like carbon film, the method comprising: a placement step of placing a metallic film formation target on which a diamond-like carbon film is to be formed in a flow channel through which film formation gas containing methane gas is caused to flow; and an impurity removal/film formation step of forming the diamond-like carbon film on a film formation target surface of the film formation target by causing the film formation gas to flow through the flow channel at a predetermined flow rate during a process of raising the temperature of the film formation target from room temperature to a predetermined temperature to allow the film formation gas to react with impurities in the film formation target surface for removal of the impurities from the film formation target surface and further to allow the film formation gas to react with a metallic element exposed by the removal of the impurities.