Diamond-like carbon (DLC) is a metastable form of amorphous carbon with significant sp3 bonding. DLC is a semiconductor with a high mechanical hardness, chemical inertness, and optical transparency. This review will describe the deposition methods, deposition mechanisms, characterisation methods, electronic structure, gap states, defects, doping, luminescence, field emission, mechanical properties and some applications of DLCs. The films have widespread applications as protective coatings in areas, such as magnetic storage disks, optical windows and micro-electromechanical devices (MEMs).

/pdf/diamond-like-amorphous-carbon-3pczopr0z7.pdf

Diamond-like amorphous carbon

Physical metallurgy of Ti–Ni-based shape memory alloys

Lanthanide-based luminescent hybrid materials.

The origin and interpretation of the Raman features of amorphous (hydrogenated) carbonfilmsdeposited at room temperature in the region of 1000–1700 cm−1 is discussed in this paper. Possible interpretations of the linewidths, positions of the ‘‘G’’ graphite peak and ‘‘D’’ disordered peak, and their intensity ratios are examined using results obtained from magnetron sputtered and magnetic field enhanced plasmadepositedfilms. It is shown that even small ‘‘clusters’’ of condensed benzene rings (cluster size below 20 A) in carbonfilms can explain the observed Raman scattering. Besides the care that should be taken in the correct interpretation of Raman results, the utility of Raman scattering in obtaining an estimate of cluster sizes in amorphous (hydrogenated) carbonfilms is discussed. Carbonfilms prepared by magnetron sputtering show two additional Raman features at 1180 and 1490 cm−1 in addition to the G and D peaks. It is shown that a correlation exists between the 1180 cm−1 peak and the sp 3 content in the films.

Raman spectroscopy on amorphous carbon films

Electrochromics for smart windows: Oxide-based thin films and devices

The crystallography of the martensitic transformation in equiatomic nickel-titanium

Engineering ceramics such as alumina, zirconia, silicon nitride and silicon carbide can now be manufactured reliably with reproducible properties As such, they are of increasing interest to industry, particularly for use in demanding environments, where their thermomechanical performance is of critical importance, with applications ranging from fuel cells to cutting tools One aspect common to virtually all applications of engineering ceramics is that eventually they must be joined with another material, most usually a metal The joining of engineering ceramics to metals is not always easy There are two main considerations The first consideration is the basic difference in atomic bonding: the ionic or covalent bonding of the ceramic, compared to the metallic bond The second consideration is the mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion In general, ceramics have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than metals and, if high tensile forces are produced in the ceramic, either a

Joining of engineering ceramics

The structure of {111} age-hardening precipitates in Al−Cu−Mg−Ag alloys

Microstructural characterisation of metallic shot peened and laser shock peened Ti–6Al–4V

Spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy is used to characterize the cross-sectional structure of highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon films, particularly concentrating on the ${\mathrm{sp}}^{2}$ bonded surface layer. The surface layer is shown to be due to subsurface conversion from ${\mathrm{sp}}^{2}$ to ${\mathrm{sp}}^{3}$ bonding at the depth of carbon ion implantation during film growth. The thickness of the surface layer is used as a measure of the ion penetration depth, varying from $0.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2\mathrm{nm}$ for 35 eV ions to $1.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3\mathrm{nm}$ for 320 eV ions. The influence of growth temperature is investigated, and it is found that the temperature above which ${\mathrm{sp}}^{3}$ bonding is not stable is greatly reduced in the region affected by ion bombardment.

Kevin M. Knowles

Papers

The crystallography of the martensitic transformation in equiatomic nickel-titanium

Joining of engineering ceramics

The structure of {111} age-hardening precipitates in Al−Cu−Mg−Ag alloys

Microstructural characterisation of metallic shot peened and laser shock peened Ti–6Al–4V

Growth Mechanism and Cross-Sectional Structure of Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon Thin Films