Abstract
Fluorine-incorporated hydrogenated fullerene-like nanostructure amorphous carbon films (F-FLC) were synthesized by employing the direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (dc-PECVD) technique using a mixture of methane (CH4), tetra-fluoromethane (CF4), and hydrogen (H2) as the working gases. The effect of the fluorine content on the bonding structure, surface roughness, hydrophobic, mechanical, and tribological properties of the films was systematically investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman analysis, atomic force microscope (AFM), contact angle goniometer, nano-indenter, and reciprocating ball-on-disc tester, respectively. The fluorine content in the films increased from 0 to 2.1 at.% as the CF4 gas flow ratio increased from 0 to 3 sccm, and incorporated fluorine atoms existed in the form of C-F X (X = 1, 2, 3) bonds in the film. The fullerene nanostructure embedded in the hydrogenated amorphous carbon films was confirmed by Raman analysis. The water contact angle was significantly increased because of fluorine doping, which indicates that the hydrophobicity of the carbon films could be adjusted to some extent by the fluorine doping. The hardness and elastic modulus of the films remained relatively high (22 GPa) as the fluorine content increased. Furthermore, the friction coefficient of the carbon films was significantly reduced and the wear resistance was enhanced by fluorine doping.
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Li QIANG. He received his Bachelor degree in chemistry in 1999 from Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou, China, and MS in chemical engineering in 2012 from Lanzhou University of Technology. Then, he joined Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests include carbon thin film as solid lubricant and the application in engine.
Junyan ZHANG. He received his Bachelor degree in chemistry in 1990 from Lanzhou University, MS in 1997 and PhD in physical chemistry in 1999, both from Lanzhou institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He then did his postdoctoral researches at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Alabama, and Rice University from 2000 to 2005. In 2007, he spent 3 months in Argonne National Lab as a guest scientist. He is now a professor of Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His current research concerns nanostructured carbon films as solid lubrication films and super low friction behaviors and mechanisms.
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Qiang, L., Zhang, B., Gao, K. et al. Hydrophobic, mechanical, and tribological properties of fluorine incorporated hydrogenated fullerene-like carbon films. Friction 1, 350–358 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-013-0031-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-013-0031-1