Mechanical and tribological properties of CNx films deposited by reactive pulsed laser ablation

• We report the tribological, mechanical, structural and compositional characteristics of CNx films deposited by excimer laser (XeCl, ? = 308 nm, TFWHM = 30 ns) ablation of a graphite target in N2 atmosphere. The influence of growth conditions on structural, morphological, tribological and mechanical properties of the CNx films has been examined by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy (TEM and SEM, respectively), nanoindentation measurements and ball-on-disk tests. All the as-deposited films have a microstructure consisting of nanometer-sized graphitic clusters in an amorphous matrix. The stresses of the films are tensile or compressive depending on the deposition conditions. Friction coefficients of the films, deduced by high speed steel balls, increase with laser fluence and nitrogen pressure from 0.12 to 0.14. Friction is thus, lower than what has been reported in literature for CNx films. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Nyckelord

Carbon nitride

Hardness

Laser ablation

Tribology

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