Material transfer mechanisms between aluminum and fluorinated carbon interfaces

First-principles calculations and sliding contact experiments were conducted to elucidate material transfer mechanisms between aluminum and fluorinated carbon (diamond, diamond-like carbon (DLC)) surfaces. An interface model that examined interactions between Al (1 1 1) and F-terminated diamond (1 1 1) surfaces revealed that F atoms would transfer to the Al surface in increasing quantities with an increase in the contact pressure, and this F transfer would lead to the formation of a stable AlF3 compound at the Al surface. The presence of AlF3 on the transfer layers formed at the Al counterface placed in sliding contact against DLC containing 3 at.% F was confirmed by both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cross-sectional focussed-ion beam transmission electron microscopy analyses. The coefficient of friction (COF) of the DLC coating was high initially due to deformation and wear of Al counterface, but formation of -OH and -H passivated C-rich transfer layers on Al reduced the COF to a low steady-state value of 0.20. The repulsive forces generated between the two F-passivated surfaces further decreased the COF to 0.14.