Nb-C nanocomposite thin films have been traditionally deposited at high temperatures and applied bias voltage, based on idea that crystallinity and nanohardness were directly related to such parameters.  In our study, we have deposited for the first time, nanocomposite thin films of Nb-C, with carbon content ranging from 0 to ~100 at.%. Films were deposited at room temperature by non-reactive magnetron sputtering from pure Nb and C targets without applying bias voltage or additional temperature to the substrates. Samples show a maximum hardness of 23 GPa for the film with ~8-10% percent of the amorphous phase. The same film showed a four-point probe electrical conductivity of 2.2x10⁶ S/m at 22ºC and superelastic behavior, with more than 80% of elastic recovery. The fact that the substrates do not need to be heated to obtain relatively hard, elastic and electrically conductive nanocomposite structures opens the possibility for a wide range of applications for temperature sensitive flexible substrates such as polymers and plastics. Biocompatibility studies of the NbC films and corrosion studies show strong cellular biocompatibility and corrosion resistant properties.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

L.E. Coy thanks the financial support from the National Cen-tre for Research and Development under research grant “Nanomaterials and their application to biomedicine”, contract number PBS1/A9/13/2012. We thank Layza A. Arizmendi and Gilberto Hurtado at CIQA for assistance with TEM imaging and for electrical measurements.

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