Arc-deposited al-cr-o coatings having enhanced coating properties

Method for producing PVD-oxide-coatings with at least one layer consisting essentially of Al, Cr, Si and O, the method comprising at least the following steps:

• a) providing a PVD-coating chamber
• b) loading in such PVD-coating chamber substrates having at least one surface to be coated
• c) performing a reactive PVD coating process wherein the process gas contains a reactive gas with reacts with metal ions produced from one or more targets for depositing the at least one layer consisting essentially of Al, Cr, Si and O on the substrate surface,
• characterized in that, the one or more targets used for performing the reactive PVD coating process in step c) have an element composition in atomic per cent given by the formula:
• Al1−x−yCrxSiy with 0.05≦y≦0.10 and 0.20≦x≦0.25 and the reactive gas is oxygen thereby producing a coating with at least one layer consisting essentially of Al, Cr, Si and O, wherein, if oxygen is not taken into account, in the at least one layer the silicon concentration is less than the silicon concentration in the one or more targets.