César D. Rivera-Tello1, M. Flores-Jiménez2, Francisco J. Flores-Ruiz3, J. Alonso Guerrero-León1, J. Pérez4, O. Jiménez4, M. Flores4

1) Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica Eléctrica, CUCEI, Universidad de Guadalajara, Blvd. Marcelino García Barragán 1421, Olímpica, Guadalajara, Jalisco C.P. 44430, Mexico.

2) CONACYT, Departamento de Ingeniería de Proyectos, Universidad de Guadalajara, 45150 Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico

3) CONACYT-Instituto de Física, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Apdo. Postal J-48, Puebla Pue. 72570, Mexico.

4) Departamento de Ingeniería de Proyectos, Universidad de Guadalajara, 45150 Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico

The present work studies the influence of the discharge-current on the carbon and argon ions species into the plasma and relates this ionization with the structural, bond-structures, electrical and tribological properties of the carbon thin films. Two main experiments were carried out, first, the plasma characterization was performed with a mass quadrupole spectrometer, and then the deposition process of the carbon thin films with the same parameters of the plasma characterization. The bond-structure and electrical properties analysis was obtained from Raman spectroscopy and four points tests, respectively. The tribology-behavior of the two samples was studied by friction-coefficients and analyzing the wear-track obtained by reciprocating ball-on-plate configuration. The results showed a significant increment with the discharge-current of both: the number of ionized species and ion energetic level. These increments could have influenced significantly the bond-structures, electrical and tribological properties of the carbon thin films, since plasma density increased with the discharge.