Influence of ag content and nanograin size on microstructure, mechanical and sliding tribological behaviors of Ag-DLC films.

Diamonds like carbon (Ag-DLC) films of nine Ag contents were deposited on (100) Si substrate in a mid-frequency dual-magnetron system. The influence of Ag content and nanograin size on the microstructure, mechanical properties and sliding tribological behaviors of the films has been investigated. It is found that (i) the Ag nanocrystallites were dispersed in the amorphous DLC matrix, and increasing Ag content resulted in an upward tendency of the Ag nanocrystallite size; (ii) the films with Ag content ranging between 3.3-11.4 at% and with Ag nanograin sizes in range of 5.4-16.8 nm exhibited higher hardness, lower intrinsic stress, better adhesion, and lower friction coefficient and wear rate as compared with those of 14.7-23.6 at% Ag content and 19.7-34.7 nm nanograin sizes; and (iii) the best combined properties were achieved for the film deposited with 8.7 at% Ag and with grain size 12.9 nm.