Nanotribological behavior of deep cryogenically treated martensitic stainless steel.

Cryogenic treatments are increasingly used to improve the wear resistance of various steel alloys by means of transformation of retained austenite, deformation of virgin martensite and carbide refinement. In this work the nanotribological behavior and mechanical properties at the nano-scale of cryogenically and conventionally treated AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel were evaluated. Conventionally treated specimens were subjected to quenching and annealing, while the deep cryogenically treated samples were quenched, soaked in liquid nitrogen for 2 h and annealed.

Synthesis and properties of CS F thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in an Ar/SF discharge.

A theoretical and experimental study on the growth and properties of a ternary carbon-based material, CS F , synthesized from SF and C as primary precursors is reported. The synthetic growth concept was applied to model the possible species resulting from the fragmentation of SF molecules and the recombination of S-F fragments with atomic C. The possible species were further evaluated for their contribution to the film growth.

Nanoscale piezoelectric response of ZnO nanowires measured using a nanoindentation technique.

We report the piezoelectric properties of ZnO nanowires (NWs) obtained by using a nanoindenter with a conductive boron-doped diamond tip. The direct piezoelectric effect was measured by performing nanoindentations under load control, and the generated piezoelectric voltage was characterized as a function of the applied loads in the range 0.2-6 mN.

Nanoscale elastic modulus of single horizontal ZnO nanorod using nanoindentation experiment.

We measure the elastic modulus of a single horizontal ZnO nanorod [NR] grown by a low-temperature hydrothermal chemical process on silicon substrates by performing room-temperature, direct load-controlled nanoindentation measurements. The configuration of the experiment for the single ZnO NR was achieved using a focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope dual-beam instrument. The single ZnO NR was positioned horizontally over a hole on a silicon wafer using a nanomanipulator, and both ends were bonded with platinum, defining a three-point bending configuration.

Oxidation of fluorinated amorphous carbon (a-CF(x)) films.

Amorphous fluorinated carbon (a-CF(x)) films have a variety of potential technological applications. In most such applications these films are exposed to air and undergo partial surface oxidation. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy has been used to study the oxidation of fresh a-CF(x) films deposited by magnetron sputtering.

Oxidation kinetics of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-CH(x)) overcoats for magnetic data storage media.

The oxidation kinetics of a-CHx overcoats during exposure to oxygen and water vapor have been measured using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) in an apparatus that allows oxidation and analysis of freshly deposited a-CHx overcoats without prior exposure of the overcoats to air. The uptake of oxygen on the surfaces of the a-CHx overcoats has been measured at O2 and H2O pressures in the range 10(-7)-10(-3) Torr at room temperature. The uptake of oxygen during O2 exposures on the order of 10(7) Langmuirs leads to saturation of the a-CHx overcoat surfaces at oxidation levels on the order of 20%.

Adsorption of fluorinated ethers and alcohols on fresh and oxidized carbon overcoats for magnetic data storage.

Temperature programmed desorption has been used to study the desorption kinetics and desorption energies of perfluorodiethylether, (CF3CF2)2O, and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, CF3CH2OH, adsorbed on fresh and oxidized hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-CHx) films. (CF3CF2)2O and CF3CH2OH serve as models for the ether backbone and hydroxyl end-groups of Fomblin Zdol, the lubricant most commonly used to lubricate the surfaces of amorphous carbon overcoats on magnetic data storage hard disks. Our measurements clearly reveal, for the first time, the effects of surface oxidation on the adsorption of fluorocarbon lubricants such as Fomblin Zdol on a-CHx films.