ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses surface processing, where the intent is to achieve properties different from those provided by the substrate. There has been tremendous developments in the general area of surface engineering for tribological applications, primarily in the forms of coatings and surface texture. A partial list of surface treatments is given in two groups, namely, those that use heat and those that plastically deform. Surface processes can be broadly classified in terms of surface treatment, surface modification, and surface coating. Thin film nanocomposite coatings are usually deposited by different variants of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and Physical vapor deposition techniques. There are currently many methods used to produce Diamond-Like Carbon coatings based on plasma vapor or CVD. Some of the most common plasma vapor deposition processes include sputtering by energetic inert gas ions (Ar+) from high-purity graphite target. Other variants of plasma vapor process include cathodic arc, pulsed laser, ion beam deposition techniques.
