A manufacturing method of a silicon carbide ingot includes the following. A raw material containing carbon and silicon and a seed located above the raw material are provided in a reactor. A first surface of the seed faces the raw material. The reactor and the raw material are heated, where part of the raw material is vaporized and transferred to the first surface of the seed and a sidewall of the seed and forms a silicon carbide material on the seed, to form a growing body containing the seed and the silicon carbide material. The growing body grows along a radial direction of the seed, and the growing body grows along a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the seed. The reactor and the raw material are cooled to obtain a silicon carbide ingot. A diameter of the silicon carbide ingot is greater than a diameter of the seed.

A substrate is coated with a multi-layer coating, comprising in order: (i) a first functional layer comprising ta-C, (ii) a second functional layer comprising ta-C, (iii) (a) a third functional layer comprising ta-C and a first intermediate layer comprising a carbide of a first element, or (b) a first intermediate layer comprising a carbide of a first element, and a second intermediate layer comprising the first element, wherein the ta-C has a hydrogen content less than 10% and an sp2 content less than 30%; wherein (i) the Young's modulus or (ii) the hardness or (iii) both the Young's modulus and the hardness independently stay the same or increase from layer to layer in (iii) (a) from the first intermediate layer to the first functional layer, or in (iii) (b) from the second intermediate layer to the first functional layer.

A SiC single crystal manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a growth container having a growth space in which a SiC single crystal is grown in a first direction and a heat insulating material which covers the growth container and includes a plurality of units, and the plurality of units include a first unit and a second unit having at least a thermal conductivity different from that of the first unit, and the first unit includes a container made of at least one of graphite and a metal carbide and a filler filled into the container in a replaceable manner.

The present invention concerns a friction piece (10) suitable for operating in a lubricated medium at a temperature higher than 200° C. The piece (10) comprises a metal surface (12) and an external coating (14) composed of tungsten carbide doped with nitrogen WC(N) with an atomic ratio of nitrogen between 5 and 12%. The invention also relates to a mechanical system (1) comprising such a piece (10). The invention also relates to a method for implementing such a piece (10).

Coated cutting implements having increased longevity, corrosion and stain resistance, a smooth and uniform appearance and color, and/or reduced friction between cutting blades are provided. The coatings on the cutting implements have at least two layers. The first layer is a metal-based layer that imparts hardness or wear-resistance to the cutting implement. The second layer is comprised of an organic polymer.

A crystal growing apparatus includes: a crucible which includes a main body portion, and a first portion having a radiation rate different from that of the main body portion, and is capable of controlling a temperature of a specific region inside during heating to a higher or lower temperature than that of the other regions; and a heating unit which is positioned on the outside of the crucible and is configured to heat the crucible by radiant heat, and the first portion is at a position where the crucible and a line segment connecting a heating center of the heating unit and the specific region intersect with each other.

A decorative article has a substrate of which at least part of the surface is configured with Ti or stainless steel; and a coating made of primarily TiC and disposed on the substrate. The coating has at least a first region, and a second region disposed closer to the substrate than the first region. The elastic modulus of the second region is greater than the elastic modulus of the first region.

An apparatus for sublimation growth of a doped SiC single crystal includes a growth crucible, an envelope, a heater, and a passage for introducing into the envelope from a source outside the envelope a doping gas mixture. The gas mixture includes a gaseous dopant precursor that, in response to entering a space between the growth crucible and the envelope, undergoes chemical transformation and releases into the space between the growth crucible and the envelope dopant-bearing gaseous products of transformation which penetrate the wall of the crucible, move into the crucible, and absorb on a growth interface of a growing SiC crystal thereby causing doping of the growing crystal. A sublimation growth method is also described.

A composite diamond body includes a diamond base material and a stable layer disposed on the diamond base material. The stable layer may have a thickness of 0.001 μm or more and less than 10 μm, and may include a plurality of layers. A composite diamond tool includes the composite diamond body. There are thus provided highly wear-resistant composite diamond body and composite diamond tool that are even applicable to mirror-finish planarization of a workpiece which reacts with diamond to cause the diamond to wear.

Provided are a thin film for optical element as a single-layer thin film which contains a Si simple substance, a Si compound excluding Si alloy, and a metal or metal compound, a method of manufacturing the thin film for optical element, and an optical element including the thin film for optical element. Further provided are an inorganic polarizing plate including a reflection suppressing layer composed of the thin film for optical element, a method of manufacturing the inorganic polarizing plate, and an optical device including the inorganic polarizing plate.