Nano-Scratch Studies on Diamond-like Carbon Coatings on Various Materials Applied in Micro Actuators

摘要

The properties of interfaces of functional parts used in micro actuators are very important to guarantee a high reliability for the whole life cycle of the device. In this paper, surface modifications by the deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) were studied with the aim of the improvement of the tribological properties. Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) was applied to reveal the surface structure. The mechanical properties and wear of the materials with a DLC coating were characterized using nanoindentation techniques. The influence of the coating thickness on the wear behavior of different substrates was investigated by single and oscillating scratch tests. Nano-scratch tests were applied to study the scratch resistance. The measurements showed an increase in surface hardness and wear resistance by the deposition of the DLC layers.