On the composition analysis of nc-TiC/a-C : H nanocomposite coatings

Using a set of ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques the compositions of hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) nanocomposite coatings are scrutinized, including the hydrogen content. The coatings are composed of two constituents: amorphous hydrocarbon matrix (a-C : H) and nanocrystalline titanium carbide (nc-TiC a ) which makes it challenging to quantify the sp 3 /sp 2 ratio of the a-C : H matrix. Using IBA and SEM data, the partial mass densities of nc-TiC a and a-C : H matrix are obtained. The latter is analysed as a function of hydrogen content and compared with the density of pure sp 3 bonding DLC and of sp 2 graphite containing different contents of hydrogen. In addition, the fraction of sp 3 bonding in the matrix is estimated assuming a linear dependence on the mass densities of the matrix.