• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.392-397
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• 2014

Recently, there is an increase in the need for precision linear stages with vacuum compatibility in such areas as lithography equipment for wafer or mask manufacturing, mask mastering equipment for optical data storage and electron beam equipment. A simple design, high stiffness and low cost can be achieved by using ball bearings. However, a ball bearing have friction and wear problems just as in ambient air. In order to decrease the friction, a special finish, a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film coating, is applied to the surface of a guide rail by sputtering deposition. This paper presents the result of an experimental investigation on the control performance of a ball bearing-guided linear motion stage under two environmental conditions: in air and vacuum. A comparison between the results with and without the DLC coating was also considered in the experimental investigation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.144.2-144.2
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• 2016

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings have been widely applied to the mechanical components, cutting tools due to properties of high hardness and wear resistance. Among them, hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) coatings are well-known for their low friction properties, stable production of thin and thick film, they were reported to be easily worn away under high temperature. Non-hydrogenated tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) is an ideal for industrial applicability due to good thermal stability from high $sp^3$-bonding fraction ranging from 70 to 80 %. However, the large compressive stress of ta-C coating limits to apply thick ta-C coating. In this study, the thick ta-C coating was deposited onto Inconel alloy disk by the FCVA technique. The thickness of the ta-C coating was about $3.5{\mu}m$. The tribological behaviors of ta-C coated disks sliding against $Si_3N_4$ balls were examined under elevated temperature divided into 23, 100, 200 and $300^{\circ}C$. The range of temperature was setting up until peel off observed. The experimental results showed that the friction coefficient was decreased from 0.14 to 0.05 with increasing temperature up to $200^{\circ}C$. At $300^{\circ}C$, the friction coefficient was dramatically increased over 5,000 cycles and then delaminated. These phenomenon was summarized two kinds of reasons: (1) Thermal degradation and (2) graphitization of ta-C coating. At first, the reason of thermal degradation was demonstrated by wear rate calculation. The wear rate of ta-C coatings showed an increasing trend with elevated temperature. For investigation of relationship between hardness and graphitization, thick ta-C coatings(2, 3 and $5{\mu}m$) were additionally deposited. As the thickness of ta-C coating was increased, hardness decreased from 58 to 49 GPa, which means that graphitization was accelerated. Therefore, now we are trying to increase $sp^3$ fraction of ta-C coating and control the coating parameters for thermal stability of thick ta-C at high temperatures.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.18-28
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• 1994

Sliding friction between a spherical pin of 8mm in diameter and flat (disk) substrates coated with vacuum-deposited thin film was measured under ultra high vacuum pressure for various materials, various rates of film supply (8~210 nm/min), various sliding velocities (1.5~67.0 mm/s). It was found that the most effective lubrication was obtained when the adhesion between $Si_3N_4$ pin and SUS440C disk was high and that between $Si_3N_4$ pin and $Si_3N_4$ disk was low. When In film was used as a lubricant between $Si_3N_4$ pin and stainless steel disk, the friction coefficient had a value as low as 0.04. In this case, the normal load W and the sliding speed V were expressed as 10N and 24 mm/s for $10^{-6}Pa$. The dependence of $\mu$ on the thickness h of the Ag film, which was used as a lubricant between $Si_3N_4$ pin and SUS440C (Q) disk was expressed as $\mu$=0.12 for W=10N and V=24mm/s when the film was thicker than 100nm. A brief discussion on these relations is presented from the viewpoint of the real contact area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2016.11a
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• pp.156-156
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• 2016

The effect of nitrogen doping on the mechanical and tribological performance of single-layer tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C:N) coatings of up to $1{\mu}m$ in thickness was investigated using a custom-made filtered cathode vacuum arc (FCVA). The results obtained revealed that the hardness of the coatings decreased from $65{\pm}4.8GPa$ to $25{\pm}2.4GPa$ with increasing nitrogen gas ratio, which indicates that nitrogen doping occurs through substitution in the $sp^2$ phase. Subsequent AES analysis showed that the N/C ratio in the ta-C:N thick-film coatings ranged from 0.03 to 0.29 and increased with the nitrogen flow rate. Variation in the G-peak positions and I(D)/I(G) ratio exhibit a similar trend. It is concluded from these results that micron-thick ta-C:N films have the potential to be used in a wide range of functional coating applications in electronics. To achieve highly conductive and wear-resistant coatings in system components, the friction and wear performances of the coating were investigated. The tribological behavior of the coating was investigated by sliding an SUJ2 ball over the coating in a ball-on-disk tribo-meter. The experimental results revealed that doping using a high nitrogen gas flow rate improved the wear resistance of the coating, while a low flow rate of 0-10 sccm increased the coefficient of friction (CoF) and wear rate through the generation of hematite (${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$) phases by tribo-chemical reaction. However, the CoF and wear rate dramatically decreased when the nitrogen flow rate was increased to 30-40 sccm, due to the nitrogen inducing phase transformation that produced a graphite-like structure in the coating. The widths of the wear track and wear scar were also observed to decrease with increasing nitrogen flow rate. Moreover, the G-peaks of the wear scar around the SUJ2 ball on the worn surface increased with increasing nitrogen doping.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.285-293
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• 2021

High-entropy TiAlCrSiN nano-composite coating was designed to improve mold life for high temperature liquid molding. Alloy design, powder fabrication and single alloying target fabrication for the high-entropy nano-composite coating were carried out. Using the single alloying target, an arc ion plating method was applied to prepare a TiAlCrSiN nano-composite coating had a 30 nm TiAlCrSiN layers are deposited layer by layer, and form about 4 ㎛-thickness of multi-layered coating. TiAlCrSiN nano-composite coating had a high hardness of about 39.9 GPa and a low coefficient of friction of less than about 0.47 in a dry environment. In addition, there was no change in the structure of the coating after the dissolution loss test in the molten metal at a temperature of about 1100 degrees.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.28-32
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• 2010

Technical demands for aspheric glass lens formed in market increases its application from simple camera lens module to fiber optics connection module in optical engineering. WC is often used as a metal core of the aspheric glass lens, but the long life time is issued because it fabricated in high temperature and high pressure environment. High hard thin film coating of lens core increases the core life time critically. Diamond Like Carbon(DLC) thin film coating shows very high hardness and low surface roughness, i.e. low friction between a glass lens and a metal core, and thus draw interests from an optical manufacturing industry. In addition, DLC thin film coating can removed by etching process and deposit the film again, which makes the core renewable. In this study, DLC films were deposited on the SiC ceramic core. The process variable in FVA(Filtered Vacuum Arc) method was the substrate bias-voltage. Deposited thin film was evaluated by raman spectroscopy, AFM and nano indenter and measured its crystal structure, surface roughness, and hardness. After applying optimum thin film condition, the life time and crystal structure transition of DLC thin film was monitored.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2017.11a
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• pp.34-34
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• 2017

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.103-110
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• 2024

Gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs) are oil-free self-acting hydrodynamic bearings that support axial loads with a low friction during airborne operation. They need solid lubricants to reduce dry-friction between the runner and top foil and minimize local wears on their surfaces during start-up and shutdown processes. In this study, we evaluate the lift-off speeds and load capacity performance of a GFTB with Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surface coating by measuring drag torques during a series of experimental tests at increasing ambient temperatures of 25, 75 and 110℃. An electric heat gun provides hot air to the test GFTB operating in the closed booth to increase the ambient temperature. Test results show that the increasing ambient temperature delays the lift-off speed and decreases the load capacity of the test GFTB. An early developed prediction tool well predicts the measured drag torques at 60 krpm. After all tests, post inspections of the surface coating of the top foil are conducted. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images imply that abrasive wear and oxidation wear are dominant during the tests at 25℃ and 110℃, respectively. A quantitative energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) microanalysis reveals that the weight percentages of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen decrease, while that of fluorine increases significantly during the highest-temperature tests. The study demonstrates that the increasing ambient temperature noticeably deteriorates the static performances and degrades the surface coating of the test GFTB.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2020

In this study, the tribology of laser patterned DLC thin film was studied. DLC thin films were coated by RF-PECVD to improve the durability of tungsten carbide (WC) materials. DLC thin films have high hardness and low friction characteristics. Dot and line patterning was processed on the surface of DLC thin film with femtosecond laser, and the coefficient of friction was improved. As a result of ball on disk abrasion test, the hardness and friction coefficient of DLC thin films were much better than that of WC material. The friction coefficient of DLC thin film with dot patterning and line patterning showed better results. The excellent performance of the laser patterned DLC coating is appeared to reduce the coefficient of friction due to the reduction of surface contact area.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.329-338
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• 2007

Purpose. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of TiN coating of abutment screw on the unscrewing torque. Material and methods. Titanium and Gold-Tite abutment screws were classified into two groups, Group A and C respectively, as control groups. Titanium abutment screws with TiN coatings were also classified into two groups, Group B and D, as experimental ones. Group A and B were tightened to 20 Ncm input torque, and Group C and D were tightened to 32 Ncm torque. Detorque values were measured with digital torque gauge during repeated closing and opening experiment. Results. Abutment screws with TiN coating (Group B and D) showed statistically significant higher mean detorque values than those of Group A and C. Discussion. Physical properties of TiN coating, such as low friction coefficient, high hardness and wear resistance, might contribute to higher detorque values. Conclusion. It is suggested that TiN coating of abutment screw help to reduce the risk of screw loosening and improve the stability of screw joint.