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Superhard and tougher SiC/diamond-like-carbon composite films produced by electron beam physical vapour deposition

✍ Scribed by X. Zhao; X. He; Y. Sun; J. Yi; P. Xiao


Book ID
103998699
Publisher
Elsevier Science
Year
2009
Tongue
English
Weight
958 KB
Volume
57
Category
Article
ISSN
1359-6454

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✦ Synopsis


SiC/diamond-like carbon (DLC) composite films have been produced on metal substrates via electron beam physical vapour deposition process with various substrate temperatures. The films deposited at 700 °C contain a DLC matrix and nanocrystalline 3CASiC. However, the films deposited at 900 °C contain a 3CASiC matrix and DLC plus nanocrystalline diamond. Both nanoindentation and Hysitron testing have shown that the Young's moduli and hardnesses of the films increased with the substrate temperature. The hardness could reach $60 GPa in some parts of the films produced at 900 °C. Meanwhile, the fracture toughness, measured using a micro-beam bending technique, reached 9.2 ± 2 MPa 1/2 for such a composite film. Both high hardness and toughness could be explained by the unique microstructure of the composite film.