Abstract
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have recently been pursued as the protection of MEMS against their friction and wear. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique is very attractive to prepare DLC coating for MEMS. This paper describes the preparation of DLC films using twinned electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) microwave PECVD process. Raman spectra confirmed the DLC characteristics of the films. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) characterization indicates the carbon is bonded in the form sp3 and sp2 with hydrogen participating in bonding. The surface roughness of the films is as low as approximately 0.093 nm measured with an atomic force microscope. A CERT microtribometer system is employed to obtain information about the scratch resistance, friction properties, and sliding wear resistance of the films. The results show the deposited DLC films have low friction and good scratch/ wear resistance properties.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Weiyuan Wang, Yuelin Wang, Haifei Bao. Friction and Wear Properties in MEMS.Sensors and Acturators, 2002, A 97–98: 486–491
K Deng, W H Ko. Application of Diamond-like Carbon Film for Microdynamic Device.Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, 5th Technical Digest, IEEE, 22–25 June, 1992: 98–101
K Komvopoulos. Surface Engineering and Microtribology for Microeletromechanical Systems.Wear, 1996, 200: 305–327
Te-Hua Fang, Cheng-I Weng and Ming-Jeng Chiang. Effects of Substrate Bias on Nanotribologyof a-C: H films Deposited by ECR-MPCVD.Diamond Relat. Mater., 2002, 11: 1653–1659
J P Melissa. An Investigation of the Role of Hydrogen in Ion Beam Deposited a — C: H.Diamond Relat. Mater., 1998, 7: 908–910
Robertson. Diamond-like Amorphous Carbon.Materials Science and Enginering, 2002, R37: 129–281
A C Ferrari. Determination of Bonding in Diamond-like Carbon by Raman Spectroscopy.Diamond Relat. Mater., 2002, 11: 1053–1061
J P Melissa. Energy Dependent Structure Changes in Ion Beam Deposited a — C: H.Diamond Relat. Mater., 1996, 5: 1407–1413
S F Yoon, K H Tan, Rusli J Ahn and Q F Huang. Effect of Microwave Power on Diamond-like Carbon Films Deposited Using Electron Cyclotron Resonance Chemical Vapor Deposition.Diamond Relat. Mater., 2000, 9, 2024–2027
J Y Chen, L P Wang and P K Chu. Blood Compatibility and sp3/sp2 Contents of Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) Synthesized by Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation-deposition.Surf. Coat. Techno., 2002, 156: 289–294
Bharat Bhushan, B K Gupta and Michael H Azarian. Nanoindentation, Microscratch, Friction and Wear Studies of Coatings for Contact Recording Applications.Wear, 1995, 181–183: 743–758
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50135040)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Li, X., Tang, Za., Deng, Xl. et al. Preparation and characterization of DLC films by twinned ECR microwave plasma enhanced CVD for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications. Journal of Wuhan University of Technology-Mater. Sci. Ed. 19, 44–47 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03000166
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03000166