A surface treatment layer for a titanium-containing substrate includes a disordered metal oxide lattice having metal nitride compounds doped in the disordered metal oxide lattice. A method of surface treating a metal substrate includes introducing oxygen to a titanium-containing substrate to thereby form an oxide layer within the titanium-containing substrate, and, after the step of introducing oxygen, introducing nitrogen to the titanium-containing substrate to thereby modify the oxide layer to form a surface treatment layer.

An embodiment of the invention describes a method of treating an article to improve its corrosion resistance. The method includes the step of nitriding the article in a cyanide-free nitriding bath to obtain a nitrided article, heating the nitrided article in an atmosphere having nitrogen and carbon-carburizing to obtain a nitrided oxidised article. Further, in certain embodiments, the oxidised nitrided article may be coated with a metallic layer. The oxidised nitrided article with the metallic coating has improved corrosion resistance.

A microstructure may be provided by forming a metal layer such as a molybdenum layer over a substrate. An aluminum nitride layer is formed on a top surface of the metal layer. A surface portion of the aluminum nitride layer is converted into a continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer by oxidation. A dielectric spacer layer may be formed over the continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer. Contact via cavities extending through the dielectric spacer layer, the continuous aluminum oxide containing layer, and the aluminum nitride layer and down to a respective portion of the at least one metal layer may be formed using etch processes that contain a wet etch step while suppressing formation of an undercut in the aluminum nitride layer. Contact via structures may be formed in the contact via cavities. The microstructure may include a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device containing a piezoelectric transducer.

A microstructure may be provided by forming a metal layer such as a molybdenum layer over a substrate. An aluminum nitride layer is formed on a top surface of the metal layer. A surface portion of the aluminum nitride layer is converted into a continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer by oxidation. A dielectric spacer layer may be formed over the continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer. Contact via cavities extending through the dielectric spacer layer, the continuous aluminum oxide containing layer, and the aluminum nitride layer and down to a respective portion of the at least one metal layer may be formed using etch processes that contain a wet etch step while suppressing formation of an undercut in the aluminum nitride layer. Contact via structures may be formed in the contact via cavities. The microstructure may include a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device containing a piezoelectric transducer.

A method for hardening a metal component includes the steps: hating the metal component to a first temperature between 750° C. and 1100° C.; increasing the carbon content in the metal component by applying a carbon donor gas to the metal component at the first temperature; cooling the metal component to a second temperature which is by 40° C. to 100° C. lower than the first temperature; increasing the nitrogen content in the metal component by applying a nitrogen donor gas to the metal component at the second temperature; cooling the metal component to ambient temperature, wherein a sintered component is used as the metal component and, after increasing the nitrogen content in the sintered component and prior to cooling the sintered component to ambient temperature, the sintered component is heated to a third temperature which is by 50° C. to 250° C. higher than the second temperature.

The present invention relates to a steel part for use in aeronautics, comprising a substrate, the substrate comprising at least carbon, cobalt, aluminium and nickel, and having an average atomic fraction of carbon between 0.09% and 0.17%, an average atomic fraction of cobalt between 15.5% and 18.5%, an average atomic fraction of aluminium less than 0.1%, an average atomic fraction of nickel between 7.2% and 9.8%, the part being case-hardened and also comprising a nitrided layer, the nitrided layer at least partially covering the substrate and having a thickness between 5 μm to 180 μm, preferably between 50 μm and 150 μm.

The present invention relates to a steel part for use in aeronautics, comprising a substrate, the substrate comprising at least carbon, cobalt, aluminium and nickel, and having an average atomic fraction of carbon between 0.09% and 0.17%, an average atomic fraction of cobalt between 15.5% and 18.5%, an average atomic fraction of aluminium less than 0.1%, an average atomic fraction of nickel between 7.2% and 9.8%, the part being case-hardened and also comprising a nitrided layer, the nitrided layer at least partially covering the substrate and having a thickness between 5 μm to 180 μm, preferably between 50 μm and 150 μm.

The present invention relates to a Group IV metal or alloy component having a protective oxide surface layer, the Group IV metal or alloy component having a core hardness, a diffusion zone having oxygen in solid solution in the range of a level providing a hardness of 120% of the hardness of the material core to the saturation level of the Group IV metal or alloy, and a Group IV metal oxide layer at the surface of the component, the diffusion zone being between the Group IV metal oxide layer and the material core. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of producing a protective oxide surface layer on a Group IV metal or alloy comprising: providing a workpiece of a Group IV metal or alloy, oxidising the Group IV metal or alloy in a first and a second oxidation step.

The present invention relates to a Group IV metal or alloy component having a protective oxide surface layer, the Group IV metal or alloy component having a core hardness, a diffusion zone having oxygen in solid solution in the range of a level providing a hardness of 120% of the hardness of the material core to the saturation level of the Group IV metal or alloy, and a Group IV metal oxide layer at the surface of the component, the diffusion zone being between the Group IV metal oxide layer and the material core. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of producing a protective oxide surface layer on a Group IV metal or alloy comprising: providing a workpiece of a Group IV metal or alloy, oxidising the Group IV metal or alloy in a first and a second oxidation step.

The invention relates to a method for increasing the wear resistance of a metal screen cloth made of wire, the method comprising treating a surface of a metal screen cloth by means of a thermochemical surface layer method for increasing the surface hardness and the wear resistance of metals, wherein the thermochemical surface layer method changes the structural conditions of the treated metal to a predetermined depth of penetration, wherein a hard surface layer is formed in the metal surface. A corresponding device and a screen cloth and a screen panel with increased wear resistance are also part of the invention.