Self-mated tribological systems based on multilayer micro/nanocrystalline CVD diamond coatings

The tribological response of multilayer micro/nanocrystalline diamond coatings grown by the hot filament CVD technique is investigated. These multigrade systems were tailored to comprise a starting microcrystalline diamond (MCD) layer with high adhesion to a silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramic substrate, and a top nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) layer with reduced surface roughness. Tribological tests were carried out with a reciprocating sliding configuration without lubrication. Such composite coatings exhibit a superior critical load before delamination (130–200 N), when compared to the mono- (60–100 N) and bilayer coatings (110 N), considering ∼10 µm thick films. Regarding the friction behaviour, a short-lived initial high friction coefficient was followed by low friction regimes (friction coefficients between 0.02 and 0.09) as a result of the polished surfaces tailored by the tribological solicitation. Very mild to mild wear regimes (wear coefficient values between 4.1×10−8 and 7.7×10−7 mm3 N−1 m−1) governed the wear performance of the self-mated multilayer coatings when subjected to high-load short-term tests (60–200 N; 2 h; 86 m) and medium-load endurance tests (60 N; 16 h; 691 m).

Influence of CVD diamond tips and Er:YAG laser irradiation on bonding of different adhesive systems to dentin

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the microtensile bond strength of three adhesive systems, using different methods of dentin preparation. Materials and methods: A hundred and eight bovine teeth were used. The dentin from buccal face was exposed and prepared with three different methods, divided in 3 groups: Group 1 (DT)- diamond tip on a high-speed handpiece; Group 2 (CVD)-CVD tip on a ultrasonic handpiece; Group 3 (LA)-Er: YAG laser. The teeth were divided into 3 subgroups, according adhesive systems used: Subgroup 1-Adper Single Bond Plus/3M ESPE (SB) total-etch adhesive; Subgroup 2-Adper Scotchbond SE/3M ESPE (AS) selfetching adhesive; Subgroup 3-Clearfil SE Bond/Kuraray (CS) selfetching adhesive. Blocks of composite (Filtek Z250-3M ESPE) 4 mm high were built up and specimens were stored in deionized water for 24 hours at 37°C. Serial mesiodistal and buccolingual cuts were made and stick-like specimens were obtained, with transversal section of 1.0 mm2. The samples were submitted to microtensile test at 1 mm/min and load of 10 kg in a universal testing machine. Data (MPa) were subjected to ANOVA and Tukey's tests (p < 0.05). Results and conclusion: Surface treatment with Diamond or CVD tips associated with Clearfil SE Bond adhesive produced significantly lower bond strength values compared to other groups. Surface treatment with Er: YAG laser associated with Single Bond Plus or Clearfil SE Bond adhesives and surface treatment with CVD tip associated with Adper Scotchbond SE adhesive produced significantly lower bond strength values compared to surface treatment with diamond or CVD tips associated with Single Bond Plus or Adper Scotchbond SE adhesives. Clinical significance: Interactions between laser and the CVD tip technologies and the different adhesive systems can produce a satisfactory bonding strength result, so that these associations may be beneficial and enhance the clinical outcomes.

Self-supporting CVD diamond charge state conversion surfaces for high resolution imaging of low-energy neutral atoms in space plasmas

Two polycrystalline diamond surfaces, manufactured by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique, are investigated regarding their applicability as charge state conversion surfaces (CS) for use in a low energy neutral atom imaging instrument in space research. The capability of the surfaces for converting neutral atoms into negative ions via surface ionisation processes was measured for hydrogen and oxygen with particle energies in the range from 100 eV to 1 keV and for angles of incidence between 6 deg and 15 deg. We observed surface charging during the surface ionisation processes for one of the CVD samples due to low electrical conductivity of the material. Measurements on the other CVD diamond sample resulted in ionisation efficiencies of ~2 % for H and up to 12 % for O. Analysis of the angular scattering revealed very narrow and almost circular scattering distributions. Comparison of the results with the data of the CS of the IBEX-Lo sensor shows that CVD diamond has great potential as CS material for future space missions.

A novel Mo-W interlayer approach for CVD diamond deposition on steel

Steel is the most widely used material in engineering for its cost/performance ratio and coatings are routinely applied on its surface to further improve its properties. Diamond coated steel parts are an option for many demanding industrial applications through prolonging the lifetime of steel parts, enhancement of tool performance as well as the reduction of wear rates. Direct deposition of diamond on steel using conventional chemical vapour deposition (CVD) processes is known to give poor results due to the preferential formation of amorphous carbon on iron, nickel and other elements as well as stresses induced from the significant difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of those materials. This article reports a novel approach of deposition of nanocrystalline diamond coatings on high-speed steel (M42) substrates using a multi-structured molybdenum (Mo) - tungsten (W) interlayer to form steel/Mo/Mo-W/W/diamond sandwich structures which overcome the adhesion problem related to direct magnetron sputtering deposition of pure tungsten. Surface, interface and tribology properties were evaluated to understand the role of such an interlayer structure. The multi-structured Mo-W interlayer has been proven to improve the adhesion between diamond films and steel substrates by acting as an effective diffusion barrier during the CVD diamond deposition.

Electrical characterization of CVD diamond-n(+) silicon junctions

The electrical characteristics of CVD-diamond/n(+)-Si heterojunction devices are reported. Below 250 K the diodes show an unusual inversion of their rectification properties. This behavior is attributed to an enhanced tunneling component due to interface states, which change their occupation with the applied bias. The temperature dependence of the loss tangent shows two relaxation processes with different activation energies. These processes are likely related with two parallel charge transport mechanisms, one through the diamond grain, and the other through the grain boundary. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. Ah rights reserved.

Micromorphologic assessment of CVD (chemical vapor deposition) and conventional diamond tips and their cutting effectiveness

The aim of this study was to compare the micromorphology of CVD diamond tips coupled to ultrasound with conventional high speed diamond tips after cavity preparations, and to measure the width and depth of the cavities obtained. Two hundred bovine teeth were divided into 20 subgroups. Each of the diamond tips (10 CVD and 10 conventional) were used to prepare 10 standardized cavities, using an apparatus that controlled the time (t: 27 s), speed (5.3 mm/s) and load (0.012 KGF) of the tip against the teeth during preparation. The unused and the used (after one, five and 10 preparations) tips were analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy. The images were randomly assessed by 3 examiners with regard to the presence or absence of micromorphologic alterations. Cavity measurements were made after visualization under a stereoscopic microscope. Cavity widths and depths were analyzed by the ANOVA Factorial test (p < 0.05). The CVD diamond tips presented less wear than the conventional tips after all the cavity preparations performed, but produced shallower cavities that were equivalent in width to those made by conventional tips after the fifth preparation. CVD diamond tips may be suggested as an alternative to conventional diamond tips due to their conservative preparation and greater longevity.

Cutting characteristics of dental diamond burs made with CVD technology

The aim of this study was to determine the cutting ability of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond burs coupled to an ultrasonic dental unit handpiece for minimally invasive cavity preparation. One standard cavity was prepared on the mesial and distal surfaces of 40 extracted human third molars either with cylindrical or with spherical CVD burs. The cutting ability was compared regarding type of substrate (enamel and dentin) and direction of handpiece motion. The morphological characteristics, width and depth of the cavities were analyzed and measured using scanning electron micrographs. Statistical analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis test (p < 0.05) revealed that the width and depth of the cavities were significantly greater when they were prepared on dentin. Wider cavities were prepared when the cylindrical CVD bur was used, and deeper cavities resulted from preparation with the spherical CVD bur. The direction of handpiece motion did not influence the size of the cavities, and the CVD burs produced precise and conservative cutting.

On the activation and physical degradation of boron-doped diamond surfaces brought on by cathodic pretreatments

The electrochemical activation and physical degradation of boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes with different boron doping levels after repeated cathodic pretreatments are reported. Galvanostatic cathodic pretreatment passing up to -14000 C cm(-2) in steps of -600 C cm(-2) using -1 A cm(-2) caused significant physical degradation of the BDD surface, with film detachment in some areas. Because of this degradation, a great increase in the electrochemically active area was observed in Tafel plots for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acid media. The minimum cathodic pretreatment needed for the electrochemical activation of the BDD electrodes without producing any observable physical degradation on the BDD surfaces was determined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements and cyclic voltammetry: -9 C cm(-2), passed at -1 A cm(-2). This optimized cathodic pretreatment can be safely used when electrochemical experiments are carried out on BDD electrodes with doping levels in the range between 800 and 8000 ppm.

Development of chemical vapor deposition diamond burrs using hot filament

The fabrication of boring tools (burrs) for dentistry with the use of a hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system, to form the diamond abrading structure, is reported here. The diamond was synthesized from a methane/freon gas mixture diluted in hydrogen. Comparative drilling tests with conventional diamond burrs and the CVD diamond burrs in borosilicate glasses demonstrated a lifetime more than 20 times larger for the CVD diamond burrs. Also, heat flow experiments in dentine showed that the CVD diamond burrs induce temperature gradients of the same order as the conventional ones. These characteristics of the CVD diamond burrs are highly desirable for odontological applications where the burrs' lifetime and the low temperature processing are essential to the quality and comfort of the treatment. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Evaluation of the dentin-pulp complex after cavity preparation with ultrasonic diamond tip

The aim of this paper was to compare the dentin-pulp complex response to cavity preparation in human teeth using ultrasonic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond tip and high-speed diamond bur. Class V buccal cavities were randomly prepared in 40 premolars from 14 patients aged 11 to 15 years. The cutting time was recorded and the cavities had the axial walls protected with gutta-percha and were filled with glass ionomer cement. The teeth were extracted at intervals of 0, 5, 10 and 20 days, and were decalcified, sectioned and stained by Hematoxylin & Eosin, Masson's Trichrome and Brown & Brenn techniques. The inflammatory response and cell disorganization were blindly evaluated by two examiners. The remaining dentin thickness (RDT) was measured by a linear scale using computer software. Statistical analysis by one-way ANOVA showed no statistically significant difference (P≤0.05) among the cavities prepared with either type of instrument, with mean RDT of 1132.50 mm. Cutting time and the pulp-dentin complex responses were analyzed statistically by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (P≤0.05). The ultrasonic CVD diamond tip took 5 times longer to prepare the cavities and there were no typical inflammatory pulp responses in cavities prepared with either type of cutting instrument, only mild to moderate cell disorganization was present. Even taking longer to cut the dental substrate, the ultrasonic CVD diamond tip produced similar pulp response compared to the conventional high-speed diamond bur.

Caracterização do diamante CVD depositado sob atmosfera com adição de baixa concentração de N2

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Estudo das características física do filme diamante CVD para utilização em coletores solares

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Análise de dissipadores de calor com filmes de diamante CVD

Dissipadores de calor recobertos com filmes de diamante CVD foram desenvolvidos para acoplar a semicondutores, utilizando-se do Laboratório de Deposição de Filmes de Diamante CVD, na UNESP - Campus de Guaratinguetá e o Laboratório de Diamantes da Universidade São Francisco, em Itatiba, SP. Analisou-se o filme de diamante CVD sobre o silício, para emprego como dissipador de calor, porque o filme de diamante CVD pode ter o valor da condutividade térmica até cinco vezes superior ao do cobre e de dez vezes a do alumínio. Os filmes foram obtidos via deposição através de reator de filamento quente, trabalhando-se com vários filamentos retilíneos em paralelo, resultando assim em um processo que visou obter um filme mais uniforme e com grande área de deposição. Os dados para análises da composição química superficial dos filmes foram obtidos por Difração de Raios-X, Dispersão de Energia de Raios-X e para a verificação da morfologia e espessura do filme foi utilizada a Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura. Para a verificação do comportamento da temperatura sobre o dissipador com o filme de diamante CVD foi utilizada uma câmera de imagem termográfica, marca Fluke, modelo Ti 40 FT. Foram obtidos filmes de 2 e 10 ?m sobre o silício. Estas espessuras ainda não oferecem um desempenho mecânico que o torne autosustentado. Do ponto de vista de desempenho térmico as análises mostraram que, mesmo com pequena espessura, o filme de diamante CVD apresentou bom resultado experimental. Os principais desafios de construção para esse dissipador de calor são a obtenção do filme com espessura acima de um mm e a garantia da qualidade do filme com a repetitividade do processo em cujo caso torna-se necessário definir as dimensões do dissipador antes da deposição do filme.

Improved GaN-based HEMT performance by nanocrystalline diamond capping

As a wide-bandgap semiconductor, gallium nitride (GaN) is an attractive material for next-generation power devices. To date, the capabilities of GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have been limited by self-heating effects (drain current decreases due to phonon scattering-induced carrier velocity reductions at high drain fields). Despite awareness of this, attempts to mitigate thermal impairment have been limited due to the difficulties involved with placing high thermal conductivity materials close to heat sources in the device. Heat spreading schemes have involved growth of AIGaN/GaN on single crystal or CVD diamond, or capping of fullyprocessed HEMTs using nanocrystalline diamond (NCD). All approaches have suffered from reduced HEMT performance or limited substrate size. Recently, a "gate after diamond" approach has been successfully demonstrated to improve the thermal budget of the process by depositing NCD before the thermally sensitive Schottky gate and also to enable large-area diamond implementation.

Analysis of femtosecond laser surface patterning on bulk single-crystalline diamond

Preliminary work is reported on 2-D and 3-D microstructures written directly with a Yb:YAG 1026 nm femtosecond (fs) laser on bulk chemical vapour deposition (CVD) single-crystalline diamond. Smooth graphitic lines and other structures were written on the surface of a CVD diamond sample with a thickness of 0.7mm under low laser fluences. This capability opens up the opportunity for making electronic devices and micro-electromechanical structures on diamond substrates. The fabrication process was optimised through testing a range of laser energies at a 100 kHz repetition rate with sub-500fs pulses. These graphitic lines and structures have been characterised using optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Using these analysis techniques, the formation of sp2 and sp3 bonds is explored and the ratio between sp2 and sp3 bonds after fs laser patterning is quantified. We present the early findings from this study and characterise the relationship between the graphitic line formation and the different fs laser exposure conditions. © 2012 Taylor & Francis.