Hard, amorpohous, hydrogen-free C layers and process for their production

Abstract
The invention relates to hard, amorphous, hydrogen-free C layers. The hard, amorpohous carbon layer consists of pure carbon not containing any metal and/or hydrogen (< 0.5 at%) components and is separated by means of pulsed vacuum arc discharge, in particular with laser control, at temperatures of < 100 degrees C. The layer according to the invention has a modulus of elasticity of > 400 G Pa and a hardness of > G Pa, a surface roughness in the range or about 100 nm and it can contain carbon particles which mainly have a lower hardness than the layer itself. The layer according to the invention has an excellent friction/sliding ratio, which is characterized by a friction coefficient of < 0.1 without the use of any lubrication and a friction coefficient of < 0.02 with a reduced use of lubrication, and manifests a high resistance to abrasive wear and corrosion.