Table 1.
Materials tested, deposition techniques, main growth parameters, surface nanoroughness, stoichiometry, contact angle, and surface free energy parameters of the samples
| Material | Deposition technique | Substrate bias (V) | N2 flow (sccm) | Surface roughness (nm) | Contact angle (°) | Surface free energy (mN/m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a-C:H (5% H2) | MS | Biased (−40) | – | 0.3 | 61 | 47.2 |
| a-C:H (5% H2) | MS | Floating | – | 2.1 | 63 | 46 |
| TiBN0.95 | Unbalanced MS | Biased (−40) | 8 | 1 | 94.4 | 26.5 |
| TiB0.9N0.95 | Unbalanced MS | Biased (−40) | 10 | 2 | 92.5 | 27.7 |
| TiB2.13 | Unbalanced MS | Biased (−40) | 0 | 0.44 | 40.2 | 59.3 |
| CNTs | Thermal CVD | – | – | 52.3 | 160 | 0.3 |
| Stainless steel | – | – | – | 74 | – | – |
Abbreviations: a-C:H, amorphous hydrogenated carbon thin films; MS, magnetron sputtering; TiBN, titanium boron nitride; TiB2, titanium diboride; CNTs, carbon nanotube-based thin films; CVD, chemical vapor deposition.