The present invention describes a hybrid multilayer solar selective coating having high thermal stability useful for high temperature solar thermal power generation. The hybrid multilayer solar selective coating of the present invention has been deposited using a novel combination of sputtering and sol-gel methods on metallic and non-metallic substrates, preferably on SS 304 and 321 with chrome interlayer. The hybrid multilayer solar selective coating of the present invention consists of stacks of Ti/chrome interlayer, aluminum titanium nitride (AlTiN), aluminum titanium oxynitride (AlTiON), aluminum titanium oxide (AlTiO) and organically modified silica (ormosil) layers. The chrome interlayer was deposited using an electroplating method, whereas, Ti, AlTiN, AlTiON and AlTiO layers were prepared using a four-cathode reactive unbalanced pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering technique. The ormosil layer was deposited using a sol-gel technique, which provides the enhanced absorptance and improved long term thermal stability in air and vacuum. The present invention provides a hybrid multilayer solar selective coating having absorptance >0.950, emittance <0.11 (SS substrate with chrome interlayer) and long term high thermal stability (in the order of 1000 hrs under cyclic heating conditions at 500° C. in air and 600° C. in vacuum). The hybrid multilayer solar selective coating of the present invention exhibits higher solar selectivity ratio in the order of 5-9 on metal and non-metal substrates. The hybrid multilayer solar selective absorber coating of the present invention has high oxidation resistance, stable microstructure, high adherence and graded composition particularly suitable for applications in concentrating collectors like evacuated receiver tubes and Fresnel receiver tubes useful for solar steam generation.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method of processing a substrate in an integrated tool comprising a physical vapor deposition chamber and a thermal atomic layer deposition chamber comprises depositing, in the physical vapor deposition chamber, a bottom layer of titanium nitride on the substrate to a thickness of about 10 nm to about 80 nm, transferring, without vacuum break, the substrate from the physical vapor deposition chamber to the thermal atomic layer deposition chamber for depositing a nanolaminate layer of high-k material atop the bottom layer of titanium nitride to a thickness of about 2 nm to about 10 nm, and transferring, without vacuum break, the substrate from the thermal atomic layer deposition chamber to the physical vapor deposition chamber for depositing a top layer of titanium nitride atop the nanolaminate layer of high-k material to a thickness of about 10 nm to about 80 nm.

The invention to which this application relates is for the formation of a coating onto a surface of an article and, in particular, although not necessarily exclusively, to form a coating which has conductive characteristics in order for the purpose of use of the article to be achieved. In one embodiment, the article base to which the coating is applied is a fuel cell or plate for a fuel cell. The coating includes at least one layer and an external layer applied thereto, said external layer provide as a discontinuous layer formed of discrete portions. The invention also relates to the method of application of a coating having the required characteristics.

A coated cutting tool includes a substrate and a coating layer formed onto the surface of the substrate. The coating layer contains an outermost layer. The outermost layer contains NbN. The NbN contains cubic NbN and hexagonal NbN. When a peak intensity at a (200) plane of cubic NbN is made I.sub.c, a peak intensity at a (101) plane of the hexagonal NbN is made I.sub.h1, and a sum of peak intensities at a (103) plane and a (110) plane of the hexagonal NbN is made I.sub.h2 in X-ray diffraction analysis, a ratio [I.sub.h1/(I.sub.h1+I.sub.c)] of I.sub.h1 based on a sum of I.sub.c and I.sub.h1 is 0.5 or more and less than 1.0, and a ratio [I.sub.h1/(I.sub.h1+I.sub.h2)] of I.sub.h1 based on a sum of I.sub.h1 and I.sub.h2 is 0.5 or more and 1.0 or less.

A coated cutting tool has a substrate and a coating layer formed onto a surface of the substrate. The coating layer contains a hard layer of a composition represented by (Ti.sub.xM.sub.1-x)N, wherein M represents at least one kind of an element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Al, Si and Y, and x represents an atomic ratio of a Ti element based on a sum of the Ti element and an M element, and satisfies 0.45≦x≦0.9. Also, an average grain size of grains constituting the hard layer is 200 nm or more and 600 nm or less, and the grains of the hard layer satisfy predetermined conditions.

A hard material which, when used as a material of a sintered material, makes it possible to obtain a sintered material with excellent abrasion resistance, a sintered material, a cutting tool including the sintered material, a method for manufacturing the hard material and a method for manufacturing the sintered material are provided. The hard material contains aluminum, nitrogen, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, and silicon, and has a cubic rock salt structure.

In one aspect, coatings are described herein employing composite architectures providing high aluminum content and high hardness for various cutting applications. For example, a coated cutting tool comprises a substrate and a coating comprising a refractory layer deposited by physical vapor deposition adhered to the substrate, the refractory layer comprising a plurality of sublayer groups, a sublayer group comprising a titanium aluminum nitride sublayer and an adjacent composite sublayer comprising alternating nanolayers of titanium silicon nitride and titanium aluminum nitride.

A surface-coated cutting tool has a hard coating layer and a tool body, which is coated with a lower layer including a TiCN layer having at least an NaCl type face-centered cubic crystal structure and an upper layer formed of a TiAlCN layer having a single phase crystal structure of NaCl type face-centered cubic crystals or a mixed phase crystal structure of NaCl type face-centered cubic crystals and hexagonal crystals. The tool body is further coated with an outermost surface layer including an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 layer, when the layer of a complex nitride or complex carbonitride of Ti and Al is expressed by the composition formula: (Ti.sub.1-xAl.sub.x)(C.sub.yN.sub.1-y), the average amount Xave of Al in Ti and Al and the average amount Yave of C in C and N (both Xave and Yave are atomic ratios) respectively satisfy 0.60≦Xave≦0.95 and 0≦Yave≦0.005.

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.