Preparation of hydrophobic diamond like carbon films by plasma source ion implantation

Fluorinated diamond like carbon (DLC) films were deposited from fluorobenzene and hexafluorobenzene by plasma source ion implantation (PSII) on silicon wafer and stainless steel substrates. The plasma was generated by a radio frequency glow discharge. The implantation and coatings were carried out at a target bias voltage of -20 kV and repetition rates 100 Hz and 1 kHz. The compositional and structural characterization of the films was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The water contact angle was measured to estimate the hydrophobic property of the DLC films. The hardness of the films was measured by an indentation method. The corrosion resistance was determined by cyclic voltammetry measurements. The XPS and FT-IR analysis showed the presence of C-F and C-C bonds. The DLC film prepared from hexafluorobenzene showed a high contact angle of about 100 degrees. The hydrophobic film has beneficial effects on the suppression of corrosion. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.