DLC films are usually obtained by plasma decomposition of a hydrocarbon-rich atmosphere using PECVD technique. PECVD of insulating films requires the substrates to be powered with an alternating pulse. A summary of the degree of hardness, friction coefficient, deposition rate, total stress, adherence, and structural properties as a function of pulsed-DC voltage are presented. Si(100), Ti6Al4V alloy, and stainless steel were used as substrates. Microindentation was used to measure the hardness on thin DLC films. The friction coefficient and critical load were determined by using a tribometer. A conventional profilometry technique was used to measure the total stress and thickness. The film microstructure was studied by means of Raman scattering spectroscopy. The results obtained show that the DLC films deposited using a low-cost EP-DC PECVD method provided the best overall results, presenting a very high adherence with different substrates, a low friction coefficient, low total stress, and a high hardness, over a large deposition area at a reasonable growth rate.
