Diamond films and composites on cobalt–chromium alloys

Silicon, aluminum nitride (AlN) and titanium carbide (TiC) layers were deposited on cobalt–chromium alloys to investigate their utility as buffer layers for the synthesis of diamond films and composites. Silicon and aluminum nitride were found to react with the substrate at diamond deposition temperatures, via out-diffusion of cobalt from the substrate. The layers of titanium carbide, on the other hand, were found to be useful as a diffusion barrier for outward diffusion of cobalt and inward diffusion of carbon during diamond deposition, thus making enhanced nucleation and growth of high quality diamond possible. The continuous diamond coatings thus formed, however, tend to bulge and then crack due to thermal expansion mismatches between the TiC coated substrate and the overlayer diamond film. Composite coatings of AlN–diamond and TiC–diamond have, therefore, been synthesized by sequential deposition of component materials. These composite coatings consist of randomly interconnected micron sized diamond crystallites which are primarily surrounded by buffer material (AlN or TiC) while the contact area between neighbouring diamond crystallites is minimum. The presence of such a discontinuous morphology of diamond crystallites renders more toughness and also leads to compensation of stresses in localized regions (local stress management) and thus reduces bulging and subsequent delamination effects.