The invention relates to a method and a device to for applying a layer 64 to a body 60, 62, and to a coated body 60. The body 60, 62 is disposed in a vacuum chamber 12 and process gas is supplied. A plasma is generated in the vacuum chamber 12 by operating a cathode 30 by applying a cathode voltage V.sub.P with cathode pulses and by sputtering a target 32. A bias voltage V.sub.B is applied to the body 60, 62 so that charge carriers of the plasma are accelerated into the direction of the body 60, 62 and attached to its surface. In order to achieve favorable properties of the coating 64 in a controlled way, the time course of the bias voltage V.sub.B is varied during the coating duration D. In the coating 64 of the body 60, 62, the material of the layer 64 comprises proportions of a noble gas, the concentration of which in the layer 64 varies over the layer thickness.

In a general aspect, a ceramic thin film with nanotwinned regions at a tunable volume fraction is manufactured. In some aspects, a method for manufacturing a ceramic thin film on a surface of a substrate in an evacuated chamber is disclosed. The ceramic thin film includes crystalline grains; and each of the crystalline grains includes one or more nanotwinned regions. The one or more nanotwinned regions have a volume fraction in a range of 30-80% of the ceramic thin film. The ceramic thin film comprises titanium, nitrogen, and boron. A plurality of targets including a plurality of sputtering materials is prepared. A gas atmosphere in the evacuated chamber is formed. Electric power is supplied to the plurality of targets to cause co-sputtering of the plurality of sputtering materials to form the ceramic thin film with the one or more nanotwinned regions.

A brake disk or drum has at least one working surface which opposes a braking member such as a brake pad or shoe. A plurality of spaced, raised island formations are provided across the working surface, with channels extending between the island formations. Each raised island formation has an outer surface which contacts a brake pad or brake shoe during braking.

Disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are a microelectrode of a gene sequencing chip, a manufacturing method therefor, and a gene sequencing chip. The microelectrode comprises a substrate, a current collector layer formed on the substrate, and an electrode layer formed on the current collector layer; the current collector layer comprises a transition metal thin film or a nitride thin film thereof or a composite thin film of a transition metal and nitride thereof, and the electrode layer comprises a nitrogen oxide thin film of the transition metal, which is formed on the transition metal thin film or the nitride thin film thereof or the composite thin film of the transition metal and nitride thereof The embodiments of the present application improve the per unit area voltage driving capabilities of a microelectrode in a gene sequencing chip, can meet requirements for an ultra-high number of cycles, and improve the throughput and stability of a gene sequencing chip.

Examples disclosed herein relate to an apparatus and method of forming thin film layers on a substrate. A first piezoelectric material layer is deposited on the substrate in a first chamber. The first piezoelectric material layer is formed on the substrate while the substrate is at a first temperature. A second piezoelectric material layer is deposited on the first piezoelectric material layer after cooling the substrate to a second temperature. The second temperature is lower than the first temperature. The first piezoelectric material layer and the second piezoelectric material layer both comprise a first piezoelectric material.

A compound semiconductor has a high electron concentration of 5×10.sup.19 cm.sup.−3 or higher, exhibits an electron mobility of 46 cm.sup.2/V.Math.s or higher, and exhibits a low electric resistance, and thus is usable to produce a high performance semiconductor device. The present invention provides a group 13 nitride semiconductor of n-type conductivity that may be formed as a film on a substrate having a large area size at a temperature of room temperature to 700° C.

Provided is a coated cutting tool having improved wear resistance and fracture resistance and a prolonged tool life. The coated cutting tool includes a substrate and a coating layer formed on the substrate. The coating layer includes a first layer containing Ti(C.sub.x1N.sub.1-x1) and a second layer containing (Ti.sub.1-y1Al.sub.y1)N, particles in the first layer have an average particle size of 5 nm or more and less than 100 nm, 1.0≤I(111)/I(200)≤20.0 in the first layer, the first layer has an average thickness of 5 nm or more and 1.0 μm or less, 0.1≤I(111)/I(200)≤1.0 in the second layer, particles in the second layer have an average particle size of more than 100 nm and 300 nm or less, and the second layer has an average thickness of 5 nm or more and 2.0 μm or less.

To provide a sliding member, such as a piston ring for an internal combustion engine, having low friction and excellent toughness. The above-described problem is solved by a sliding member (10) such as a piston ring coated with a Cr—B—Ti—V—(Mn, Mo)—N-based alloy film (2) on a sliding surface (11) thereof, and configured so that the alloy film (2) contains one or both of Mn and Mo and has a total content of the Mn and the Mo within a range of 2 mass % or less. Preferably, a B content is within a range of 0.1 mass % to 1.5 mass %, inclusive, a V content is within a range of 0.05 mass % to 1 mass %, inclusive, and a Ti content is within a range of 0.05 mass % to 1.5 mass %, inclusive.

A bioactive coated substrate includes a base substrate, a first interlayer disposed over the base substrate, an outermost bioactive layer disposed on the first interlayer, and a topcoat layer disposed on the outermost bioactive layer. Characteristically, a plurality of microscopic openings extending through the topcoat layer and the outermost bioactive layer expose the first interlayer and the outermost bioactive layer. A method for forming the bioactive coated substrate is also provided.

A surface-coated cutting tool includes: a substrate including a rake face and a flank face; a first coating film that coats the rake face; and a second coating film that coats the flank face, wherein the first coating film includes a first composite nitride layer at a region d1 on the rake face, the second coating film includes a second composite nitride layer at a region d2 on the flank face, the first composite nitride layer includes Ti.sub.1-x1-y1Al.sub.x1Ta.sub.y1C.sub.α1N.sub.β1, the second composite nitride layer includes Ti.sub.1-x2-y2Al.sub.x2Ta.sub.y2C.sub.α2N.sub.β2.