Two-step process for improved diamond deposition on titanium alloys at moderate temperature

Abstract

A simple two-step process is reported here to depositdiamondcoatings on titanium alloys at temperatures equal to or lower than 600 ° C. The first step allows us to increase the carbonnucleation rate and to deposit a sacrificial layer which contains more than about 25% sp 2 carbon. Its thickness is selected both to limit the interaction of titanium element with the plasmas used for diamond growth during all the second step, even when an oxygen-containing mixture is used, and to diffuse completely at the end of the process. After the first step, the formation of titaniumcarbide is observed by x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which does not reveal any oxygen incorporation in the coating-substrate interfacial region. These results are related to the final strong diamond adherence.