Removing Method of Hard Coating Film

A removing method of hard coating film from a main body of a hard coating film coated member, a surface of the main body being coated with the hard coating film composing of a metal carbide, a metal nitride, or a metal carbonitride in Group IIIb, IVa, Va, or VIa of the periodic table of the elements, or composing of a solid solution of these compounds the hard coating film being removed from the main body by irradiating an ion beam onto the hard coating film to etch the hard coating film, characterized by that:

• the etching is performed by irradiating the ion beam created using an inert gas as a working gas onto the hard coating film, the etching comprising steps of:
• a first etching step of etching the hard coating film by irradiating the ion beam created using a first inert gas as a working gas onto the hard coating film;
• and
• a second etching step of etching the hard coating film by irradiating the ion beam created after switching of working gas from the first inert gas to a second inert gas of which atomic weight is smaller than the first inert gas onto the hard coating film.