Cathode structures are disclosed for use with pulsed cathodic arc deposition systems for forming diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on devices, such as on the sliders of hard disk drives. In illustrative examples, a base layer composed of an electrically- and thermally-conducting material is provided between the ceramic substrate of the cathode and a graphitic paint outer coating, where the base layer is a silver-filled coating that adheres to the ceramic rod and the graphitic paint. The base layer is provided, in some examples, to achieve and maintain a relatively low resistance (and hence a relatively high conductivity) within the cathode structure during pulsed arc deposition to avoid issues that can result from a loss of conductivity within the graphitic paint over time as deposition proceeds. Examples of suitable base material compounds are described herein where, e.g., the base layer can withstand temperatures of 1700° F. (927° C.).

A coated substrate includes a coating, wherein the coating includes, starting from the substrate in this order: a. a layer of diamond-like carbon, b. a metallic multi-ply layer, wherein the metallic multi-ply layer contains b1) tin and at least one alloying element for tin, or b2) magnesium and at least one alloying element for magnesium, wherein the metallic multi-ply layer is formed from two, three, or more plies, wherein one or more plies contain tin and one or more plies made of at least one alloying element for tin selected from antimony, copper, lead, silver, indium, gallium and/or germanium, are arranged alternatingly, or wherein one or more plies contain magnesium and one or more plies made of at least one alloying element for magnesium selected from aluminum, bismuth, manganese, copper, cadmium, iron, strontium, zirconium, thorium, lithium, nickel, lead, silver, chromium, silicon, tin, gadolinium, yttrium, calcium and/or antimony, are arranged alternatingly.

A corrosion-resistant member (10) provided with: a base material (16) made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy; a diamond-like carbon film (18) formed on a surface of the base material (16) and made of amorphous carbon (a-C) or hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H); and an epoxy resin-containing coating material (20), which at least fills open pores (24) of the diamond-like carbon film (18).

A coated substrate, includes a coating that includes, starting from the substrate in this order: a) a layer of diamond-like carbon (DLC), b) a metallic, single-ply or multi-ply layer, and c) an oxygen barrier layer, wherein the metallic, single-ply or multi-ply layer contains b1) tin or tin and at least one alloying element for tin, which are present unalloyed and/or alloyed, or b2) magnesium and at least one alloying element for magnesium, which are present unalloyed and/or alloyed. The coated substrate protects the DLC layer, as a result of which said layer can be tempered. The coating has good mechanical stability and good aging stability before heat treatment.

Cathode structures are disclosed for use with pulsed cathodic arc deposition systems for forming diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on devices, such as on the sliders of hard disk drives. In illustrative examples, a base layer composed of an electrically- and thermally-conducting material is provided between the ceramic substrate of the cathode and a graphitic paint outer coating, where the base layer is a silver-filled coating that adheres to the ceramic rod and the graphitic paint. The base layer is provided, in some examples, to achieve and maintain a relatively low resistance (and hence a relatively high conductivity) within the cathode structure during pulsed arc deposition to avoid issues that can result from a loss of conductivity within the graphitic paint over time as deposition proceeds. Examples of suitable base material compounds are described herein where, e.g., the base layer can withstand temperatures of 1700° F. (927° C.).

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.

There is provided a tool blade, comprising a backing strip particles of abrasive material and a binder layer of binding material which binds the abrasive particles along an edge of the backing strip, wherein the edge of the backing strip is pre-formed with teeth, on which the abrasive particles are bound by the binding material. A profiled cutting portion extends beyond the pre-formed teeth. The pre-formed teeth are shaped as generally triangular waves or are flattened at least partially along an upper edge on which the cutting portion is at least partially disposed. A method of making such a blade is also provided.

A sliding element for an internal combustion engine may include a base material having an annular external surface. The external surface may include a bonding layer, a first layer of coating, and a second layer of coating sequentially disposed thereon. The first layer of coating and the second layer of coating may include hard amorphous carbon (DLC) of a combined matrix having a plurality of sp3/sp2 bonds. The first layer of coating may include 45% sp3 bonds or less and may have a thickness of at least 10 micrometers. The second layer of coating may include at least 55% sp3 bonds and may have a thickness of at least 3 micrometers.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a piston ring covered with a DLC coating that has excellent wear resistance and shows a low attacking property on a cylinder bore sliding surface. The problem is solved by a piston ring which is used in the presence of an engine lubricating oil and includes a DLC coating on an outer peripheral sliding surface. The DLC coating has an sp.sup.2 component ratio of 0.5 to 0.85 as determined from a TEM-EELS spectrum obtained by a combination of a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), as well as a coating hardness of 12 GPa to 26 GPa and a Young's modulus of 250 GPa or less as measured by a nanoindentation method.

An electrode for an ozone generator or chlorine generator includes an electrically conductive substrate, a doped-Si layer disposed over the conductive substrate, and a boron-doped diamond (BDD) layer disposed over the doped-silicon layer. The doped-silicon layer defines a discrete architecture that maintains adhesion throughout a high temperature CVD boron-doped diamond process. Another electrode having a PVD nitrogen-doped diamond (ta-C:N) layer disposed over a conductive substrate is also provided.