Abstract:Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were prepared on medical Ti6Al4V alloy by ion beam sputtering deposition technology. The morphology, microstructure and tribological properties of the films were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UMT-2 universal micro-tribometer. The corrosion resistance in Hank’s solution of the films and the uncoated sample was evaluated by means of potentiodynamic polarization techniques. The results indicate that the carbon films have typical diamond-like characteristics. The surface roughness and morphology are also significantly influenced by the substrate bias. The film grown at –100 V bias has optimal properties such as high sp3/sp2 ratio of carbon bonding, low roughness of 6.5 nm and excellent friction behavior. Electrochemical measurements show that the DLC films markedly improve the corrosion resistance of the Ti6Al4V alloy.