A coating includes a first base layer including a nitride of at least Al and Cr, a second base layer including a nitride of at least Al and Cr overlying the first base layer, and an outermost indicator layer overlying the second base layer. The first base layer has a positive residual compressive stress gradient. The second base layer has substantially constant residual compressive stresses. The outermost indicator layer includes a nitride of Si and Me, wherein Me is at least one of Ti, Zr, Hf, and Cr. The outermost indicator layer has residual compressive stresses that are less than the residual compressive stresses of the second base layer.

Provided is a surface-coated cutting tool including a complex carbonitride layer on the tool body, wherein a ratio of crystal grains having a NaCl type face-centered cubic structure is 80 area % or more, x.sub.avg and y.sub.avg satisfy 0.60≤x.sub.avg≤0.90 and 0.000≤y.sub.avg≤0.050, respectively, a composition of the Ti—Al complex carbonitride layer being represented by (Ti.sub.1-xAl.sub.x)(C.sub.yN.sub.1-y), the x.sub.avg being an average of x that is an Al content in a total content of Al and Ti, and the y.sub.avg being an average of y that is a C content in a total content of C and N, the crystal grains having the NaCl type face-centered cubic structure include crystal grains in which the x repeatedly increases and decreases, the crystal grains include 10 to 40 area % of crystal grains G.sub.1 having an average distance of 40 to 160 nm and crystal grains G.sub.s having an average distance of 1 to 7 nm.

Provided is a cutting tool that can have a long tool life even when used to cut soft metals in particular. The cutting tool comprises a base body and a hard carbon film arranged on the base body, the hard carbon film includes an amorphous phase and a graphite phase, the density of the hard carbon film is no less than 2.5 g/cm.sup.3 and no more than 3.5 g/cm.sup.3, the degree of crystallinity of the hard carbon film is no more than 6.5%, and the average coordination number of the amorphous phase is no less than 2.5 and no more than 4.

Aspects of the disclosure include a multilayer surface-covering assembly adapted to convert solar radiation to heat. The multilayer surface-covering assembly may include a first composite layer comprising a first amorphous refractory material and first metal nanoparticles, wherein the first amorphous refractor material encapsulates the first metal nanoparticles, and wherein the first composite layer is thermally coupled with a surface of a structure for conduction of heat from the first composite layer to the structure. he multilayer surface-covering assembly may also include an antireflective layer, wherein the first composite layer is disposed between the antireflective layer and the surface of the structure.

A substrate is coated with a multi-layer coating, comprising in order: (i) a first functional layer comprising ta-C, (ii) a second functional layer comprising ta-C, (iii) (a) a third functional layer comprising ta-C and a first intermediate layer comprising a carbide of a first element, or (b) a first intermediate layer comprising a carbide of a first element, and a second intermediate layer comprising the first element, wherein the ta-C has a hydrogen content less than 10% and an sp2 content less than 30%; wherein (i) the Young's modulus or (ii) the hardness or (iii) both the Young's modulus and the hardness independently stay the same or increase from layer to layer in (iii) (a) from the first intermediate layer to the first functional layer, or in (iii) (b) from the second intermediate layer to the first functional layer.

A coated tool for hot stamping of coated or uncoated sheet metals, comprising a coated substrate surface to be in contact with the coated or uncoated metal sheet, wherein the coating in the coated substrate surface comprises one or more inferior layers and one or more superior layers, where the inferior layers are deposited closer to the substrate surface than the superior layers, and: the inferior layers are designed for providing load bearing capacity, the superior layers are designed for providing galling resistance, at least one superior layer is deposited having a multi-nanolayer structure wherein: one type of nanolayer is composed of at least 90 at.-% of chromium and nitrogen, a second type of nanolayer is composed of at least 90 at.-% of titanium, aluminum and nitrogen, a third type of nanolayer is composed of at least 90 at.-% of vanadium carbon and nitrogen.

A coated tool for hot stamping of coated or uncoated sheet metals, comprising a coated substrate surface to be in contact with the coated or uncoated metal sheet, wherein the coating in the coated substrate surface comprises one or more inferior layers and one or more superior layers, where the inferior layers are deposited closer to the substrate surface than the superior layers, and: the inferior layers are designed for providing load bearing capacity, the superior layers are designed for providing galling resistance, at least one superior layer is deposited having a multi-nanolayer structure wherein: one type of nanolayer is composed of at least 90 at.-% of chromium and nitrogen, a second type of nanolayer is composed of at least 90 at.-% of titanium, aluminum and nitrogen, a third type of nanolayer is composed of at least 90 at.-% of vanadium carbon and nitrogen.

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.

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.

A plate including functional material to be deposited onto a target surface using monochromatic radiation having a wavelength is described. The plate further includes a substrate with a first surface directed towards the target surface and with a second surface to receive the monochromatic radiation. The first surface is patterned with recessed areas that have a dielectric coating and that are filled with the functional material. The dielectric coating includes a sequence of dielectric coating layers alternating in refractive index. The dielectric coating therewith has a relatively high reflectivity for said monochromatic radiation incident perpendicular to the dielectric coating in comparison to a reflectivity for said monochromatic radiation incident at an angle of 45 degrees to the dielectric coating. As such shear forces are mitigated without requiring a high alignment accuracy. The present application further describes a deposition device including the plate and a method involving the plate.