Adherent and low-stress a-C:H films were deposited on Ti6Al4V and stainless steel substrates using PECVD and IBAD techniques. An amorphous silicon interlayer was applied to improve the adhesion of the a-C:H films on the metal substrates. The XPS technique was employed to analyze the chemical bondings within the interfaces. 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.

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... The mechanical properties were determined by means of stress and hardness measurements. The adherence was evaluated by means of scratch tests. The tests showed that the composition, the microstructure, and the mechanical properties of the films depend on the intensity of the ion bombardment and on the ion current.