Tribological Behavior of Nickel-Doped Diamond-Like Carbon Thin Films Prepared on Silicon Substrates via Magnetron Sputtering Deposition

In this study, nickel-doped diamond-like carbon (Ni-DLC) thin films were deposited on silicon (Si) substrates using a magnetron cosputtering system by varying DC power density applied to a Ni target at a fixed DC power density applied to a carbon (C) target. Their tribological properties were systematically investigated using a ball-on-disc microtribometer. The tribological results showed that increasing the DC power density applied to the Ni target more than 0.49 W/cm2 significantly increased the friction and wear of the Ni-DLC films due to the degraded sp3-bonded cross-linking structures of the films. However, the much lower friction and wear of the Ni-DLC-coated Si samples than those of the uncoated Si sample implied that the Ni-DLC films could effectively prevent their Si substrates from wear. It could be concluded that the Ni-DLC films could be used as high wear-resistant coatings for micromold applications because their tribological properties were significantly influenced by the DC power density applied to the Ni target.