Method for the manufacture of coatings and an article
AssigneeHauzer Techno Coating Europe BV
InventorsChristian G.C. Strondl, Antonius P. A. Hurkmans, Gerrit Jan van der Kolk
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of coatings having a low coefficient of friction on articles such as mechanical components and tools, with a layer sequence of carbon and a carbide of at least one element in the form of a metal and/or silicon and/or boron being deposited on the article by means of a PVD process. Articles which have such a layer sequence are also claimed. The coating has a low coefficient of friction, is wear-resistant and has a relatively high hardness and also relatively high elasticity.
Claims26
A method for manufacturing a coating having a low coefficient of friction on an article having a surface, said coating comprising a transition layer provided at said surface, a sequence of alternating carbon and carbide layers deposited on said transition layer and a topmost layer, the method comprising the steps of:
- depositing said layer sequence of alternating carbon and carbide layers on said transition layer, said carbide layers being formed by sputtering of a target comprising a carbide of at least one element of the group consisting of a metal, silicon and boron, and said carbon layers being generated by sputtering of a target made of graphite,
- selecting a layer thickness of each said carbon layer of said layer sequence in the range between approximately 1 nm and approximately 20 nm,
- selecting said topmost layer to consist of carbon,
- selecting a layer thickness for each of said carbide layers in the range between 1 and 3 nm, and
- depositing said carbon layers to have a number of sp2 bonds and a number of sp3 bonds, a ratio of said number of sp3 bonds to said number of sp2 bonds being greater than 1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.