Hardness Of Amorphous Hard Carbon Films Determined By The Ultra-Low Load Microindentation Technique

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Abstract
Amorphous carbon films variously designated as i-C, α-C:H diamond-like or hard carbon films, have interesting optical and mechanical properties and are candidates for wear and corrosion protection in a wide range of applications. Because the depth of penetration by the indenter in normal hardness tests often approaches or exceeds the thickness of the diamond-like coating film, hardness data may reflect large substrate effects. This paper gives the results of ultra-low load microindentation hardness measurements which allow data to be obtained for indentation depths as small as 20 nm. The data also yield information on the elastic modulus of the coatings. Films were obtained from a number of sources and had been prepared by several techniques. The hardness values are in the range of 7 to 15 GPa and depend on the exact preparation parameters. The hardness data will be compared to those obtained by the Knoop technique.

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