Metal-free diamond-like-carbon coatings
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorClark V. Cooper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A coating (20) for a component of a power transmission system (10) and a method of coating a substrate is provided. The coating is substantially metal-free with a low hydrogen to carbon ratio. The method includes placing a graphite carbon target and the substrate in a magnetron sputtering chamber. The magnetron sputtering chamber is evacuated and filled with gas. The graphite carbon target is sputtered by the ionized inert and/or hydrogen gas so that the substrate is coated with a metal-free diamond-like-carbon coating.
Claims40
A coating for a component of a power transmission system comprising:
- an outer layer of a diamond-like-carbon composition substantially metal-free, wherein said outer layer is deposited on at least a portion of the component by a process of DC magnetron sputtering using at least one of an ionized inert gas and a hydrocarbon gas;
- and
- an intermediate layer located between the outer layer and the component, and the intermediate layer is a carbide or a nitride of a transition metal or metalloid.
A component of a power transmission system comprising:
- a substrate and a coating on said substrate, wherein said coating is a diamond-like-carbon coating being substantially metal-free and having an atomic hydrogen to carbon ratio of less than about 0.30;
- and
- an intermediate layer located between the substrate and coating, and the intermediate layer is a carbide or a nitride of a transition metal or metalloid.
A power transmission system comprising:
- one or more components having a surface with a coating thereon, wherein said coating is a diamond-like-carbon coating being substantially metal-free and having an atomic hydrogen to carbon ratio of less than about 0.30;
- and
- an intermediate layer located between the coating and the surface, and the intermediate layer is a carbide or a nitride of a transition metal or metalloid.
A method for producing a component of a power transmission system comprising:
- providing a substrate of the component;
- placing a graphitic carbon target and said substrate in a DC magnetron sputtering chamber;
- in the chamber, forming an intermediate layer on the substrate, and the intermediate layer is a carbide or a nitride of a transition metal or metalloid;
- and
- ionizing said graphitic carbon target with at least one of an inert gas and a hydrocarbon gas being used as the sputtering species so that said intermediate layer is at least partially coated with a diamond-like-carbon coating that is substantially metal-free.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.