A corrosion-resistant member including: a metal base material (10); and a corrosion-resistant coating (30) formed on the surface of the base material (10). The corrosion-resistant coating (30) is a stack of a magnesium fluoride layer (31) and an aluminum fluoride layer (32) in order from the base material (10) side. The aluminum fluoride layer (32) is a stack of a first crystalline layer (32A) containing crystalline aluminum fluoride, an amorphous layer (32B) containing amorphous aluminum fluoride, and a second crystalline layer (32C) containing crystalline aluminum fluoride in order from the magnesium fluoride layer (31) side. The first crystalline layer (32A) and the second crystalline layer (32C) are layers in which diffraction spots are observed in electron beam diffraction images obtained by electron beam irradiation and the amorphous layer (32B) is a layer in which a halo pattern is observed in an electron beam diffraction image obtained by electron beam irradiation.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a diamond-like carbon coating is provided. The diamond-like carbon coating may include a substrate and a diamond-like carbon film formed on the substrate. The diamond-like carbon film may include a plurality of layers of diamond-like carbon. A first layer of diamond-like carbon in the diamond-like carbon film is softer than a second layer of diamond-like carbon in the diamond-like carbon film. In some embodiments, the diamond-like carbon coating may further include a barrier layer and/or a UV protection layer formed between the substrate and the diamond-like carbon film. In some embodiments, the diamond-like carbon coating may further include a hydrophobic layer formed on the diamond-like carbon film. The diamond-like carbon coating is optically transparent.

A piston ring with a coated outer surface is provided. The coating is disposed on end sections of the outer surface adjacent a gap. Typically, a middle section of the outer surface located between the end sections is not coated. The coating can be formed of CrN or DLC, and the CrN coating can be applied by physical vapor deposition (PVD). The end sections of the outer surface, upon which the coating is applied, are rough. For example, the outer surface can be blasted or otherwise textured to achieve the rough surface. The rough surface retains oil and distributes stress better than a smooth surface, and thus reduces crazing and flaking of the coating.

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.

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 (WC—Co) 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.

A component (100), in particular for a valve train system, having a substrate (3) and a layer system (1) applied at least in parts to the substrate (3), wherein the layer system (1) includes a friction-reducing and wear-reducing protective layer (2) for forming a component surface, wherein the protective layer (2) has at least one first sub-layer (4, 4a) made of doped tetrahedral amorphous carbon, which includes sp.sup.3-hybridized carbon having a mole fraction of at least 50%, wherein the first sub-layer (4, 4a) contains oxygen in a concentration in the range from 0.1 at % to 3.0 at % and hydrogen in a concentration in the range from 0.1 at % to 15 at %, and wherein the first sub-layer (4, 4a) has one or more of the following dopants in a concentration in the range from 0.03 at % to 15 at %: chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, silicon, copper, niobium, zirconium, vanadium, nickel, iron, silver, hafnium, fluorine, boron and nitrogen. A method for producing such a component (100) is also provided.

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.

Disclosed is a part comprising a metal substrate, a non-hydrogenated amorphous ta-C or aC carbon coating that coats the substrate, and an undercoat which is based on chromium (Cr), carbon (C) and silicon (Si) and is disposed between the metal substrate and the amorphous carbon coating and to which the amorphous carbon coating is applied, characterized in that the undercoat included, at its interface with the amorphous carbon coating, a ratio of silicon in atomic percent to chromium in atomic percent (Si/Cr) of 0.3 to 0.60, and a ratio of carbon in atomic percent to silicon in atomic percent (C/Si) of 2.5 to 3.5.

A method of manufacturing a device includes thermally spraying tungsten carbine in feedstock that does not include Cobalt but that includes Nickel, Copper, or a Nickel-Copper alloy, the method improves the base coating toughness, anticorrosion, and antifouling properties for high load application in sea water and brackish water environments. Additionally, a Cobalt-free material lowers material costs and reduces the global demand of Cobalt. Providing a topcoat of a Silicon-doped DLC significantly reduces the topcoat brittleness of common DLC failures such as “egg shell” in high stress applications. Thus, high hardness, low friction applications may be tailored in high stress applications.

The present invention describes a process for coating conductive component in a plasma reactor and a conductive component coating, wherein the process comprises the steps of cleaning, mechanical support deposition, topographic modification by plasma bombardment, chemical support layer deposition and amorphous carbon layer deposition (Diamond-Like Carbon). In one embodiment, the process is in single cycle. The present invention pertains to the fields of Materials Engineering, Physics and Chemistry.