DLC coating of interior surfaces of steel tubes by low energy plasma source ion implantation and deposition

Abstract The plasma source ion implantation (PSII) process can be used for the treatment of the interior surfaces of tubes. Typically, this is done with higher ion energies of 10 keV or more. The resulting film thickness and the properties of the DLC film usually show a dependence on position, i.e. the distance from the edge of the tube. In order to investigate whether this effect is also present with lower energies (and if so, to what extent), deposition was carried out at negative pulse voltages of −5 kV. A diamond-like carbon (DLC) film was deposited by using acetylene as the plasma gas. The substrate consisted of stainless steel tubes with an inner diameter of 20 mm and a length of 100 and 200 mm, respectively. The distribution of the thickness, film composition, structure, surface morphology and friction coefficient as a function of the position inside the tube were investigated. The results of this low energy treatment were compared with investigations which employed higher ion energies.