Ti-containing amorphous hydrogenated carbon (Ti-C:H) thin films were deposited on stainless steel SS304 substrates by high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) in an atmosphere of mixed Ar and C2H2 gases using titanium metal as the cathodic material. The multilayer structure of the deposited film had a Ti-Ti-CDLC gradient to improve adhesion and reduce residual stress. This study investigates the effects of substrate bias and target-to-substrate distance on the mechanical properties of Ti-C:H films. Film properties, including composition, morphology, microstructure, mechanical, and tribology, were examined by glow discharge spectroscopy (GDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and a nanoindenter and a pin-on-disk tribometer. Experiments revealed impressive results. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.