Diamond layer architecture with locally adapted properties

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Vollertsen
• Subject Area: Coating and Surface Technology ; Materials in Sintering Processes and Generative Manufacturing Processes
• Term: from 2012 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 220322849

Diamond layers outclass conventional coating materials due to the high hardness and wear resistance, the big optical band gap and the chemical stability. Modern coating technologies provide the combination of diamond together with other coating materials. However, up to now a sequential process combination is required by these technologies. In the first funding period a newprocess was investigated, which enables to embed impurities in a growing diamond layer. For this purpose a laser based plasma-CVD-process was upgraded by the possibility of a thermal vaporization of solid precursor. It could be shown that silicon and aluminum can be embedded into a diamond layer in a single-digit percent range by vaporizing solid precursor in a laser basedvacuum chamber free plasma-jet. Also multilayer coatings are possible to be deposited by the same process. After providing an in-situ incorporation of chemical impurities into a diamond layer, a graded or stepped distribution of the impurities is aimed in a second funding period, while simultaneously the impurity distribution within a layer should be homogeneous. Particularly theprocess-property-relation of the diamond layers with incorporated impurities are planned as object of research. The optical activity in kind of photoluminescence of the CVD-diamond layers with incorporated aluminum respectively silicon impurities will be a main issue. A perspective application potential of these researches would be the development of an in-situ wear detecting tool coating, because the use of diamond layers as wear-resistant coating increases due to the high hardness, the good friction and slide properties.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants