Wear of ultrathin carbon overcoat characterized by microwear scan and Auger electron spectroscopy

A tribological characteristic chart, containing the coating wear rate and wearscan critical load information to represent the coating tribological behavior is reported. The chart offers better understanding in coating failure mechanism. It also offers the criteria in ranking the coating tribological performance. Methodology of combining the microwera scan technique and Auger electron spectroscopy to investigate the tribological behavior of carbon coating is successfully developed.