The effects of Ti carbonization on the nucleation and oriented growth of diamond films on cemented carbide

To better understand the influence of carbonization of the Ti interlayer on diamond nucleation and growth, a series of Ti/diamond composite films were deposited on cemented carbide (WC:Co) substrates using a two-step deposition technique. The microstructural properties of the composite films were then characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and Raman spectroscopy, and their tribological properties were evaluated using a ball-on-disc tester and a metalloscope. The results showed that differences in carbonization for five Ti interlayers of different thicknesses led to variations in the preferred orientations of the TiC layers and in the subsequent nucleation and oriented growth of diamond. This suggests that Ti carbonization significantly influences the nucleation and growth of diamond and subsequently causes variations in the tribological properties of the produced diamond films. © 2014 American Chemical Society.