A coated cutting tool comprising a substrate and a coating layer formed on a surface of the substrate, the coating layer including at least one predetermined layer, wherein: the predetermined layer is a layer containing a compound having a composition represented by a formula below:

(Al.sub.xTi.sub.yM.sub.1-x-y)N

[wherein M denotes an element of at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W and Si, x denotes an atomic ratio of the Al element based on a total of the Al element, the Ti element and a metal element denoted by M, y denotes an atomic ratio of the Ti element based on a total of the Al element, the Ti element and the metal element denoted by M, x satisfies 0.60x0.85, y satisfies 0y0.40, and x+y satisfies 0.60x+y1.00]; an average thickness of the predetermined layer is from 1.4 m or more to 15 m or less; and the predetermined layer has an upper region and a lower region which satisfy conditions (1), (2) and (3) below: condition (1): the upper region has an average thickness of from 0.5 m or more to 2.5 m or less ranging from an interface which is close to a surface of the coated cutting tool toward the substrate, the average thickness being less than an average thickness of the predetermined layer, and the lower region has an average thickness of from 0.5 m or more to 2.5 m or less ranging from an interface which is close to the substrate toward the surface of the coated cutting tool, the average thickness being less than the average thickness of the predetermined layer; (2) an atomic ratio of the Al element contained in the upper region is higher, by from 3 atom % or higher to 10 atom % or lower, than an atomic ratio of the Al element contained in the lower region; and (3) an average particle size in the upper region is greater than an average particle size in the lower region.

A coated article includes a substrate, a functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate, and a protective coating over at least a portion of the functional layer, wherein an uppermost layer of the functional layer is a metal oxide layer, and wherein the protective coating comprises a metal nitride layer and a metal oxynitride layer that is disposed between and in contact with at least part of the metal nitride layer and the metal oxide layer of the functional layer.

Provided is a barrier film, comprising: a base layer; and an inorganic layer including a first region and a second region, which have different elemental contents (atomic %) of Si, N, and O from each other as measured by XPS, and having a compactness expressed through an etching rate of 0.17 nm/s or less in the thickness direction for an Ar ion etching condition to etch Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 at a rate of 0.09 nm/s, wherein the second region has a higher elemental content of N than that of the first region, the first region has a thickness of 50 nm or more, and the ratio (d1/d2) of the thickness (d1) of the first region to the thickness (d2) of the second region is 2 or less, the barrier film having excellent barrier properties and optical properties. The barrier film can be used for electronic products sensitive to moisture or the like.

A cutting tool comprising a base material and a coating disposed on the base material, wherein the coating comprises a hard particle layer; the hard particle layer is formed from a plurality of hard particles including titanium, silicon, carbon, and nitrogen; in the hard particles, a concentration of the silicon periodically changes along a first direction set in the hard particles; and an orientation of the hard particle layer is a (220) orientation.

A cutting tool comprising a base material and a coating disposed on the base material, wherein the coating comprises a hard particle layer, the hard particle layer is formed from a plurality of hard particles including titanium, silicon, carbon, and nitrogen; in the hard particles, a concentration of the silicon periodically changes along a first direction set in the hard particles; and an orientation of the hard particle layer is a (422) orientation.

An article includes a substrate and a barrier layer on the substrate. The barrier layer includes a matrix, diffusive particles dispersed in the matrix, and gettering particles dispersed in the matrix. The gettering particles include at least one alloyed metal silicide. A composite material and a method of fabricating an article are also disclosed.

Provided is a barrier film, comprising a base layer and an inorganic layer including a first region and a second region, which have different elemental contents (atomic %) of Si, N, and O from each other as measured by XPS, and having a compactness expressed through an etching rate of 0.17 nm/s in the thickness direction for an Ar ion etching condition to etch Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 at a rate of 0.09 nm/s, wherein the second region has a higher elemental content of N than that of the first region, and the second region has a thickness of 10% or more relative to the total thickness of the inorganic layer. The barrier film has excellent barrier properties and optical properties and can be used for electronic products which are sensitive to moisture and the like.

A composition and method of kinetically depositing the composition to form a coating onto an exterior surface of a zirconium alloy cladding of a light water nuclear reactor which at least partially adheres to the exterior surface. The coating composition includes a first component and a second component. The first component is selected from the group consisting of zirconium, zirconium oxide and mixtures thereof. The second component is selected from the group consisting of Zr.sub.2AlC ceramic, Ti.sub.2AlC ceramic, Ti.sub.3AlC.sub.2 ceramic, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, aluminum, zirconium silicide, amorphous and semi-amorphous alloyed stainless steel, and mixtures of Zr.sub.2AlC ceramic, Ti.sub.2AlC ceramic and Ti.sub.3AlC.sub.2 ceramic. The coating has a gradient emanating from the exterior surface of the cladding toward an exposed outer surface of the coating such that percent by weight of the first component decreases and the second component increases from the exterior surface of the cladding toward the exposed outer surface of the coating.

Provided is a piston ring having excellent low-friction properties and abrasion resistance manufactured without the need for precision control using an ordinary film formation device that does not have a special function. A piston ring obtained by coating an amorphous carbon film on the surface of a ring-shaped substrate, the piston ring being configured so that the amorphous carbon film is formed by CVD, an increase region, in which the ratio sp.sup.2/sp.sup.3 of the sp.sup.2 bond to the sp.sup.3 bond continuously increases from the substrate surface toward the film surface, and a decrease region, in which the ratio sp.sup.2/sp.sup.3 continuously decreases, are formed in alternating fashion, a soft film in which the ratio sp.sup.2/sp.sup.3 is low and a hard film in which the ratio sp.sup.2/sp.sup.3 is high are formed so as to be layered in alternating fashion by continuous variation of the ratio sp.sup.2/sp.sup.3 in the boundary between the increase region and the decrease region, and the decrease regions are formed in equal number to or with one region less than the number of increase regions.

Coatings for metal forming tools or metal forming members used for cold forming of high-strength steels include a CrN lower layer and a TiCN upper layer. The lower layer is deposited closer to the substrate than the upper layer. The lower layer is made of oxygen-enriched chromium nitride exhibiting a cubic structure with preferred orientation, and the upper layer is made of hydrogen-enriched titanium carbonitride. Methods for depositing the coatings are also described.