Investigation of substrate finishing conditions to improve adhesive strength of DLC films

This study investigated the effects of grinding wheels on the surface modification properties in Electrolytic Inprocess Dressing grinding. Three specimens were ground with different abrasive grinding wheels: diamond wheel, SiO₂ wheel, and diamond + SiO₂ wheel. These three different grinding wheels produced surfaces modified by the diffusion of the abrasive elements. Adhesive strength evaluation tests between the substrate surface and the DLC film were performed using micro-scratch testing. The finished surface ground by the diamond + SiO₂ wheel showed the highest adhesive strength due to the physical and chemical properties of the diffused elements. As a result, application of this proposed grinding method to mold fabrication shows considerable promise.