A diamond-coated tool includes: a substrate; and a diamond layer that coats the substrate, wherein the diamond layer includes a first region that is in contact with the substrate, the first region includes a region S1 surrounded by an interface P between the substrate and the diamond layer and an imaginary plane V1 separated from the interface P by a distance of 2 m, and the region S1 has crystal grains grown in random directions.

A sliding member (10) including a coating film (1) composed of a hard carbon layer on a sliding surface (16) of a base material (11). The coating film has, when a cross section thereof is observed by a bright-field TEM image, a thickness within a range of 1 m to 50 m, and is configured by repeating units including black hard carbon layers (B), relatively shown in black, and white hard carbon layers (W), relatively shown in white, and laminated in a thickness direction, and comprise an inclined region, provided on a base material side, where thicknesses of white hard carbon layers (W) of the repeating units gradually increase in a thickness direction, and a homogeneous region\, provided on a surface side of the sliding member, where thicknesses of the white hard carbon layers (W) of the repeating units are the same or substantially the same in the thickness direction.

Systems and methods for adding a cap-layer to magnetic recording media are described. In one embodiment, the method may include depositing a magnetic recording layer over a substrate, depositing an interface layer over the magnetic recording layer, and depositing a carbon overcoat layer over the interface layer. In some cases, sputter deposition is used to deposit at least the interface layer. In some cases, oxygen is used as a background gas of the sputter deposition.

Multispectral optical interference coatings and methods. In one example, an optical element includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite the first surface, a first multi-layer dielectric film disposed on the first surface of the substrate and constructed and arranged to transmit light in a first band of wavelengths, a second multi-layer dielectric film disposed on the second surface of the substrate and constructed and arranged to transmit light in a second band of wavelengths, the first and the second bands of wavelengths at least partially overlapping, and a bilayer diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating disposed on the first multi-layer dielectric film, the bilayer DLC coating including a first layer and a second layer, the first layer having a modulus of elasticity of a first value, and the second layer disposed on the first layer and having a modulus of elasticity of a second value that is greater than the first value.

In an embodiment, a cutting tool is disclosed. The cutting tool includes a base member and a DLC layer. The DLS layer contains diamond-like carbon and is located on a surface of the base member. The DLC layer includes one or more first regions. Each of the one or more first regions contains argon by 0.1-1 mass %.

Improved thin film coatings, cutting tool materials and processes for cutting tool applications are disclosed. A boron-doped graded diamond thin film for forming a highly adhesive surface coating on a cemented carbide (WCCo) cutting tool material is provided. The thin film is fabricated in a HFCVD reactor. It is made of a bottom layer of BMCD in contact with a surface layer of the cemented carbide, a top layer made of NCD and a transition layer with a decreasing concentration gradient of boron obtained by changing the reaction conditions through ramp up option in hot filament CVD reactor. The top layer has a low friction coefficient. The bottom layer in the coating substrate interface has better interfacial adhesion through cobalt and boron reactivity and decreased cobalt diffusivity in the diamond. The transition layer has minimized lattice mismatch and sharp stress concentration between the top and bottom layers.

Provided is a sliding member having a hard carbon coating that makes high wear resistance compatible with a low coefficient of friction and that has excellent peeling resistance. A sliding member (100) includes a base member (10) and a hard carbon coating (12) formed on the base member (10). The indentation hardness of the hard carbon coating (12) decreases gradually from the base member side to the surface side. The hard carbon coating (12) has an indentation hardness distribution at 0T/Ttotal0.6 approximated by a first line and an indentation hardness distribution at 0.9T/Ttotal1 approximated by a second line, and the intersection between the first line and the second line (T2/Ttotal, H2) satisfies Expression (1), (H3H1)T2/Ttotal+H1<H20.9H1, and Expression (2), 0.6T2/Ttotal0.9.

A sliding member includes a carbon transfer layer and can superiorly effectively decrease friction and reduce wear. A method produces the sliding member. The sliding member includes a substrate and a carbon transfer layer. The carbon transfer layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate and includes both sp.sup.2 bonded carbon and sp.sup.3 bonded carbon. The carbon transfer layer preferably has a ratio sp.sup.3/(sp.sup.2+sp.sup.3) of the sp.sup.3 bonded carbon to the totality of the sp.sup.2 bonded carbon and the sp.sup.3 bonded carbon of 0.1 or more.

Rapid plasma nitriding is achieved by harnessing the power and increased density of plasma discharges created by hollow cathodes. When opposing surfaces are maintained at the proper voltage, sub atmospheric pressure, and spacing, a phenomenon known as the hollow cathode effect creates additional hot oscillating electrons capable of multiple ionization events thereby increasing the number of ions and electrons per unit volume (plasma density). The present invention describes the harnessing of this phenomenon to rapidly plasma nitride metal surfaces and optionally rapidly deposit functional coatings in a continuous operation for duplex coatings.

The present invention relates to a method of providing a multi-layer coating to a surface of a substrate, a multi-layer coating prepared by the method and a component comprising the multi-layer coating. The present invention also relates to a method of suppressing or inhibiting growth of a certain phases and/or structures of a crystalline structure with an amorphous first metal oxide coating and a substrate having a surface bearing the coating.