NUCLEATION RATE OF DIAMOND FILMS ON WC-Co ALLOYS

Abstract

Diamond-coated hard alloys are prospective tool materials for extreme cutting conditions. Nucleation rate is one of important factors that affect the qualities of diamond thin films on WC-Co alloys. However, theoretical reports on nucleation rate of diamond films on WC-Co alloys are scarce. Combining the unique diamond strong orientation with substrate surface properties, an improved theoretical formula on nucleation rate of diamond films on the WC-Co alloys is deduced in this paper. First, taking account of the strong texture of diamond crystal, the expression, which is closer to the practical deposition process of diamond films on WC-Co alloys, is exclusively involved in both the effects of substrate compositions and substrate surface defects on the nucleation rate. Moreover, the theoretical formula to be slightly revised could be widely used to express nucleation rates of diamond films on various substrates.