Amorphous SixC1-x(a-SixC1-x) films with x ranging from 0 to 0.4 have been p
roduced using a high energy ion beam deposition method. The resulting films
have been characterized by Raman annihilation spectroscopy and positron an
nihilation spectroscopy (PAS). Hardness and wear resistance have also been
measured. It has been shown that the open volume defects and their distribu
tion through the films have an important role in determining the mechanical
behavior of the as-deposited and thermal treated films. (C) 2001 Elsevier
Science B.V. All rights reserved.