{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,30]],"date-time":"2025-11-30T22:37:14Z","timestamp":1764542234939,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,3]],"date-time":"2023-01-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1672704000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"CEMMPRE\u2013UIDB","award":["00285\/2020","227012"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["00285\/2020","227012"]}]},{"name":"FEDER","award":["00285\/2020","227012"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["00285\/2020","227012"]}]},{"name":"FCT-Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia (COMPETE)","award":["00285\/2020","227012"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["00285\/2020","227012"]}]},{"name":"European Community","award":["00285\/2020","227012"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["00285\/2020","227012"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Coatings"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Diamond-like-carbon \u201cDLC\u201d coatings can be deposited in many different ways, giving a large range of material properties suitable for many different types of applications. Hydrogen content significantly influences the mechanical properties and the tribological behavior of DLC coatings, but its determination requires techniques that are not available in many research centers. Thus, it is important to find alternative indirect techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy or nanoindentation (hardness measurements), which can give comparative and indicative values of the H contents in the coatings, particularly when depositions with a reactive gas flow are being studied. In this work, \u201cDLC\u201d composite coatings with varying H content were deposited via Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) magnetron sputtering in a reactive atmosphere (Ar + CH4). An Ion Beam Analysis was used to determine the elemental depth profile across the coating thickness (giving both average C:W:H ratios and film density when combined with profilometer measurements of film thickness). The hardness was evaluated with nanoindentation, and a decrease from 16 to 6 GPa (and a decrease in the film density by a factor of two) with an increasing CH4 flow was observed. Then, the hardness and Raman results were correlated with the H content in the coatings, showing that these indirect methods can be used to find if there are variations in the H content with the increase in the CH4 flow. Finally, the adhesion and tribological performance of the coatings were evaluated. No significant differences were found in the adhesion as a function of the H content. The tribological properties presented a slight improving trend with the increase in the H content with a decrease in the wear rate and friction.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/coatings13010092","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,4]],"date-time":"2023-01-04T05:02:30Z","timestamp":1672808550000},"page":"92","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["The Influence of H Content on the Properties of a-C(W):H Coatings"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2606-2782","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuel","family":"Evaristo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CEMMPRE\u2014Centre for Mechanical Engineering Materials and Processes, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Rua Lu\u00eds Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4035-3241","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Filipe","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CEMMPRE\u2014Centre for Mechanical Engineering Materials and Processes, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Rua Lu\u00eds Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"ISEP\u2014School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6404-8957","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chris","family":"Jeynes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ion Beam Centre, Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8251-5099","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Albano","family":"Cavaleiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CEMMPRE\u2014Centre for Mechanical Engineering Materials and Processes, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Rua Lu\u00eds Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"IPN-LED&MAT\u2014Instituto Pedro Nunes, Laborat\u00f3rio de Ensaios, Desgaste e Materiais, Rua Pedro Nunes, 3030-199 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"902","DOI":"10.1016\/0925-9635(94)90297-6","article-title":"Engineering applications for diamond-like carbon","volume":"3","author":"Matthews","year":"1994","journal-title":"Diam. 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