The characterization of fluorocarbon films on NiTi alloy by magnetron sputtering

Fluorocarbon films were deposited on nickel–titanium (NiTi) alloy substrate by radio-frequency (RF, 13.56 MHz) magnetron sputtering using a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) target. The deposition parameters of fluorocarbon films including the RF power, the working gas pressure and Ar flow rate were systematically studied. The structure of the deposited films was studied by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The surface morphology of the deposited films was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The mechanical properties of the deposited films were characterized by a nanoindenter. C–Fx and C–C units were found in the deposited fluorocarbon films, which corresponded to the results of XPS. The surface roughness of the fluorocarbon film was 7.418 nm (Ra).