MODIFICATIONS OF SOLID LUBRICATING COATINGS BY MEV ION BEAMS

SPUTTERED COATINGS OF SOLID LUBRICATING DICHALCOGENIDES SUCHAS MOLYBOLENUM DISUFIDE HAVE RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION, PARTICULARLY DUE TO VACUUM AND SPACE APPLICATIONS. CONVENTIONAL MAGNETRON SPUTTERED FILMS OF THESE MATERIALS ON MOST SURFACES HAVE SHORT SLIDING LIFE. ASIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT OF DURABILITY OF THESE FILMS UNDER SLIDING CAN BE ATTAINED BY HIGH ENERGY ION IRRADIATION OF THE SPUTTER DEPOSITED FILMS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE TO STUDY AND OPTIMIZE THE ENHANCEMENT OF SLIDING LIFE OF SPUTTERED DICHAL COGENIDES COATINGS ON SAPPHIRE, M50STEEL AND SILICON NITRIDE BY HIGH ENERGY (MEV) LIGHT AND HEAVY ION IRRADIATIONS. MEV ION IRRADIATION IS PREFERRED OVER KEV BEAMS BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT AND POTENTIAL USE OF FILMS WITH THICKNESSES IN THE MICRON RANGE. THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM IN PHASE I IS DIRECTED TOWARD OPTIMIZING THE CONDITIONS AND GAINING UNDERSTANDING OF SLIDING LIFE ENHANCEMENT OF MOLYBOLENUM DISUFIDE COATING ON SAPPHIRE BY MEV ION IRRADIATIONS. BOTH LIGHT (H(+), HE(+)) AND HEAVY (NI(+), AG(+)) IONS AT DOSES IN THE RANGE 1X10(15)TO 1X10(16) CM(-2) ARE USED FOR THIS STUDY. THE INSIGHT GAINED IN PHASE I WILL BE USED IN DEVELOPING A PHASE II PROGRAM THAT WILL ADDRESS FURTHER OPTIMIZATION AND POTENTIALAPPLICATIONS.