Method of produce ultra-low friction carbon films
AssigneeArgonne National Laboratory
InventorsAli Erdemir, George R. Fenske, Osman Levent Eryilmaz, Richard H. Lee
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Abstract
A method and article of manufacture of amorphous diamond-like carbon. The method involves providing a substrate in a chamber, providing a mixture of a carbon containing gas and hydrogen gas with the mixture adjusted such that the atomic molar ratio of carbon to hydrogen is less than 0.3, including all carbon atoms and all hydrogen atoms in the mixture. A plasma is formed of the mixture and the amorphous diamond-like carbon film is deposited on the substrate. To achieve optimum bonding an intervening bonding layer, such as Si or SiO2, can be formed from SiH4 with or without oxidation of the layer formed.
Claims16
A structurally amorphous, low friction coating, comprising:
- a film comprised of carbon and hydrogen, wherein the film has a coefficient of friction from 0.001 to 0.007 and the coefficient of friction is measured in a substantially clean nitrogen environment.
An article of manufacture, comprising:
- (a) a substrate comprised of metal, ceramic, polymer, plastic, sapphire or a semiconductor;
- (b) a bonding layer comprised of silicon, titanium oxide or chromium oxide deposited on the substrate;
- and
- (c) a film comprised of carbon and hydrogen deposited on the bonding layer, wherein the film has a coefficient of friction from 0.001 to 0.007 and the coefficient of friction is measured in a substantially clean nitrogen environment.
A structurally amorphous, low friction coating, comprising:
- a film consisting essentially of carbon and hydrogen, wherein the film has a coefficient of friction from 0.001 to 0.007 and the coefficient of friction is measured in a substantially clean nitrogen environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.