The Effect of Temperature on Surface Properties of Silicon and Oxygen-Added-DLC Film

This research was conducted to study the influence of the temperature effect on the surface properties of Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) films with silicon and oxygen elements (Si-O-DLC) at 13:1:2, 45:1:2, and 88:1:2 ratios using the plasma-based ion implantation (PBII) technique on a silicon wafer substrate. The deposited films were annealed at 450o C, 500o C, and 550o C for 1 h and then slowly cooled in a furnace. The relative atomic content at the top surface of the films was analyzed using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The friction coefficients of the films were measured using a ballon-disk friction test. The results indicate that the friction coefficient of the Si-O-DLC film at a 13:1:2 ratio before and after annealing at 450o C was shown the lowest friction coefficient of 0.05 and 0.07, respectively. The friction coefficient of the Si-O-DLC films increased with the annealing temperature.