Nickel/hydrogenated amorphous carbon composite films have been deposited on silicon and stainless steel substrates by combining sputter-deposition of metal and microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition of carbon from argon-acetylene mixtures containing 10% to 100% of C₂H₂. The composition of films was investigated as a function of the C₂H₂ concentration by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, nuclear reaction analysis and elastic recoil detection analysis. The crystallographic structure of the films was identified by X-ray diffraction techniques. The grain size of carbide, Ni₃C, detected in all samples, was found to be in the nanometer range. The nanohardness and Young modulus of films were deduced from the load-displacement nanoindentation curves. The maximum hardness of 13 GPa was found for films produced from gas mixtures containing 25 to 35% of C₂H₂. The magnitude of residual stresses was determined by measurements of the curvature radius of silicon substrates. The maximum value of compressive residual stresses was equal to - 0.8 GPa for films deposited in gas mixtures containing 25 to 35% of C₂H₂. The ball-on-disk tribological tests were conducted in room air at 20°C. The friction coefficient was as low as 0.22 for films deposited in gas mixtures containing 70% of C₂H₂.

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