Microstructural, Electrical, and Tribomechanical Properties of Mo-W-C Nanocomposite Films

Abstract

This study investigates the phase composition, microstructure, and their influence on the properties of Mo-W-C nanocomposite films deposited by dual-source magnetron sputtering. The synthesised films consist of metal carbide nanograins embedded in an amorphous carbon matrix. It has been found that nanograins are composed of the hexagonal β-(Mo2 + W2)C phase at a low carbon source power. An increase in the power results in the change in the structure of the carbide nanoparticles from a single-phase to a mixture of the β-(Mo2 + W2)C and NaCl-type α-(Mo + W)C(0.65≤k≤1) solid-solution phases. The analysis of electrical properties demonstrates that the nanograin structure of the films favours the occurrence of hopping conductivity. The double-phase structure leads to a twofold increase in the relaxation time compared to the single-phase one. Films with both types of nanograin structures exhibit tunnelling conductance without the need for thermal activation. The average distance between the potential wells produced by the carbide nanograins in nanocomposite films is approximately 3.4 ± 0.2 nm. A study of tribomechanical properties showed that Mo-W-C films composed of a mixture of the β-(Mo2 + W2)C and α-(Mo + W)C(0.65≤k≤1) phases have the highest hardness (19–22 GPa) and the lowest friction coefficient (0.15–0.24) and wear volume (0.00302–0.00381 mm2). Such a combination of electrical and tribomechanical properties demonstrates the suitability of Mo-W-C nanocomposite films for various micromechanical devices and power electronics.