Tribology of diamond-like carbon films: fundamentals and applications

Since their initial discovery, Diamond Like Carbon films have enjoyed an overwhelming interest from both the scientific and industrial community. This book highlights some of the most important structural, chemical, mechanical and tribological characteristics of DLC films. It is particularly dedicated to the fundamental tribological issues that impact the performance and durability of these coatings in numerous industrial applications including automotive, microelectronics, aerospace, biomedical, textile, and manufacturing. As a result of numerous systematic studies, there now exist reliable models, computer simulations, and experimental findings that demonstrate some of the lowest friction and wear coefficients for these films. Accordingly, this book covers some of the most important tribological findings on DLC films and emphasizes their application in mechanical systems ranging in size from nano/micro (like MEMS, NEMS) to meso/macro scale devices (like bearings, gears, aerospace mechanisms, liquid/solid lubricated engine parts and components). The book includes contributions from some of the most prominent world experts representing academia, national laboratories, and industrial companies.