The carbon concentration in the carburized steels was measured by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) for a range of soluted carbon content in austenite from 0.1 to 1.2 wt%. This study demonstrates the problems in carbon quantitative analysis using the existing calibration curve derived from pure iron (0.008 wt%C) and graphite (99.98 wt%C) as standard specimens. In order to derive an improved calibration curve, carbon homogenization treatment was performed to produce a uniform Kα intensity in selected standard samples (AISI 8620, AISI 4140, AISI 1065, AISI 52100 steel). The trend of detection intensity was identified according to the analysis condition, such as accelerating voltage (10, 15, 30 keV), and beam current (20, 50 nA). The appropriate analysis conditions (15 keV, 20 nA) were derived. When the carbon concentration depth profile of the carburized specimen was measured for a short carburizing time using the improved calibration curve, it proved to be a more reliable and accurate analysis method compared to the conventional analysis method.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been widely used in many industrial applications because of their outstanding mechanical and chemical properties like hardness, wear resistance, lubricous property, chemical stability, and uniformity of deposition. Also, DLC films coated on paper, polymer, and metal substrates have been extensively used. In this work, in order to improve the printing quality and plate wear of polymer printing plates, different deposition conditions were used for depositing DLC on the polymer printing plates using the Pulsed DC PECVD method. The deposition temperature of the DLC films was under 100˚C, in order to prevent the deformation of the polymer plates. The properties of each DLC coating on the polymer concave printing plate were analyzed by measuring properties such as the roughness, surface morphology, chemical bonding, hardness, plate wear resistance, contact angle, and printing quality of DLC films. From the results of the analysis of the properties of each of the different DLC deposition conditions, the deposition conditions of DLC + F and DLC + Si + F were found to have been successful at improving the printing quality and plate wear of polymer printing plates because the properties were improved compared to those of polymer concave printing plates.