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. By the combination of very high hardness, low adhesion and high smoothness, these films show superior behaviour in wear and glide applications. The influence of plasma and deposition conditions on these film properties and the choice of optimum conditions are discussed.