Influence of formation modes on morphology and phase composition of carbon coatings reinforced with multilayer carbon nanotubes

The morphological features and phase composition of carbon coatings reinforced with carbon nanotubes and formed with different pulse repetition rates of a cathode-arc carbon plasma source are considered. It is shown that reinforced carbon coatings are characterized by greater sub-roughness and relief differences (up to 500 nm) as compared to coatings unreinforced with nanotubes, which is due to the presence of MWCNT agglomerates and their random distribution over the surface. It was found that agglomerates of MWCNTs make a significant contribution to the formation of the final Raman spectrum, which is most likely due to an increase in the number of defects and amorphization of the MWCNT walls as a result of the action of a carbon plasma flow.