Effect of pre-treatment of the substrate surface by energetic C+ ion bombardment on structure and nano-tribological characteristics of ultra-thin tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) protective coatings

摘要: Depositing an ultra-thin tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) protective coating on the surface of recording heads in magnetic tape drives can improve tribological problems at head/tape interface. In this work effect pre-treatment AlTiC substrate (main bearing head contact with tape) by C+ ions moderate energy (smaller than 400 eV) structural and tribo-mechanical behaviours coated surfaces is studied. Sample preparation consisted two separate stages deposition film, was done means filtered cathodic vacuum arc. Structure ta-C film its interface were studied transmission electron microscopy time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiling. The results revealed formation a broader, dense atomically mixed layer film–substrate pre-treated samples comparing that without pre-treatment. Chemical characterization thin diamond-like coatings conducted x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy found to have remarkable increasing sp3 hybridization fraction overcoat. Nano-tribological properties treated examined using ball-on-flat wear test very low load (20 mN). There good correlation between structure characteristics presented coefficient friction higher life. experimental demonstrate effectiveness bombardment films material.