MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF DIAMOND THIN-FILMS

The mechanical properties of diamond films deposited via hot filament chemical vapour deposition have been determined using a range of techniques, and related to the composition and morphology of the diamond films as determined by laser Raman spectroscopy. As the quality of the film increases, its hardness (as determined by the volume law of mixtures hardness model) also increases until it is larger than values often reported for polycrystalline bulk material, a consequence of the very small grain size in the films. Coating adhesion, as determined from indentation adhesion tests, also appears to improve with coating quality. Variations in the behaviour of the friction coefficient between diamond films and diamond and steel counterfaces are less well defined, but it appears that the surface morphology of the film is important in dictating the behaviour rather than the quality of the diamond. These results are discussed in the context of the potential use of diamond coatings in tribological applications.