Deposition of superhard amorphous carbon films by pulsed arc sources

Hydrogen-free amorphous carbon films with hardness comparable to crystalline superhard materials have been deposited by special pulsed arc techniques. With the combination of very high hardness, high smoothness, and low adhesion activity to other materials which are in contact with them, these films show superior behavior in wear and slide applications. The influence of plasma and deposition conditions on these film properties and the choice of optimum conditions are discussed.