Adherent and low-stress a-C:H films were deposited on Ti6Al4V and stainless steel substrates using ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) technique. An amorphous silicon interlayer was applied to improve the adhesion of the a-C:H films on the metal substrates. The elemental composition and atomic density of the films were determined by ion beam analysis. The film microstructure was studied by means of Raman scattering spectroscopy. The mechanical properties were determined by means of stress and hardness measurements. The friction coefficient and critical load were evaluated by using a tribometer. The tests showed that the composition, the microstructure, and the mechanical properties of the films depend on the intensity of the ion current. The tribological analyses showed high a-C:H film adhesion on metallic substrates. These results confirmed the advantages of the IBAD tech-nique for a-C:H film deposition for industrial applications.
