Geometry and Orientation Affects Thin Film Structure on Real Devices

What is it about?

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) is a thin film that can be deposited on to a biomedical or industrial product to improve its performance, usually to improve wear rates, reduce friction or make the product more compatible with its environment. Film production parameters can be adjusted to alter the surface of the material or whether the film is more like graphite, diamond or a polymer. This work shows that the shape of the product affects the final DLC roughness, structure and ultimately performance.

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Why is it important?

We are interested in using thin films to improve things like medical implants, surgical tools, drill bits and other real devices. Unlike many laboratory samples, these devices have a complex surface and shape - this work shows that the shape affects the deposited structure and properties of the film. This can be taken into account in designing the device or planning the film deposition parameters in order to improve the performance of the final product.