A METHOD OF COATING EDGES WITH DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON

摘要

A method of creating a diamond-like carbon film on a substrate (22), including the steps of exposing the substrate to a hydrocarbon gas environment and generating plasma in the environment of an electron density greater than approximately 5 x 10<10> per cm<3> and a sheath thickness less than about 2 mm under conditions of high ion flux and controlled, low energy ion bombardment. Also, an article of manufacture which includes a substrate having a surface and a diamond-like carbon film on the surface, wherein the film has a hardness greater than approximately 20 Gpa and no discernable grains 300 ANGSTROM or greater in diameter when viewed at a magnification of 50,000X in a field-emission scanning electron microscope.