Influence of the silicon interlayer deposition process in the adhesion of the DLC coatings deposited on nitrided martensitic stainless steel

Abstract

The DLC coatings are characterized by good wear resistance, low friction coefficient and chemical inertness [1]. However, they have adhesion problems when they are deposited on metallic substrates. For this reason, a thin interlayer of different materials, such as silicon, is deposited previous to the coating in order to improve the adhesion. There are a few studies about the influence of the conditions of the silicon interlayer deposition on adhesion or properties of the coatings [2,3]. In this work, the adhesion of DLC coatings deposited on nitrided and non-nitrided martensitic stainless steel, modifying the silicon interlayer bias potential deposition, is studied.