Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the reactive gas consumption in a coating process using plasma, comprising the following steps: a) admitting reactive gas into a coating chamber, wherein the corresponding reactive gas flow is measured and, at the same time, the partial pressure prevailing in the coating chamber is measured, without igniting a plasma; b) admitting reactive gas into a coating chamber, wherein the corresponding reactive gas flow is measured and, at the same time, the partial pressure prevailing in the coating chamber is measured, wherein a plasma is ignited.

Abstract: A workpiece having a coating which has at least one TiB2 layer, characterized in that the TiB2 layers have a texture, in the XRD-spectrum, which leads to significant peaks which display a pronounced (002) orientation. The invention also relates to a method for producing said type of workpiece with a coating.

Abstract: A multilayer hard film-coated cutting tool including a cutting tool body and a multilayer hard film formed on a surface of the cutting tool body, wherein the multilayer hard film comprises at least an upper layer and a lower layer; the upper layer is made of a Ti and Si compound layer; the lower layer is made of a multi-layered film of an A-layer and a B-layer, a layer thickness of the B-layer is equal to or thicker than a layer thickness of the A-layer, a ratio of the layer thicknesses of the A-layer and the B-layer being A-layer:B-layer=1:1 to 1:2, the multilayer hard films having 2 to 8 pairs of the A-layer and the B-layer in a case where a single pair is defined by a combination of a single A-layer and a single B-layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to method for applying a coating having at least one TiCN layer to a surface of a substrate to be coated by means of HiPIMS, wherein, to deposit the at least one TiCN layer, at least one Ti target is used as the Ti source for producing the TiCN layer, said target being sputtered in a reactive atmosphere by means of a HiPIMS process in a coating chamber, wherein, to reduce growth defects during the deposition of the at least one TiCN layer, the reactive atmosphere comprises one inert gas, preferably argon, and at least nitrogen gas as the reactive gas, wherein, to reduce growth defects during deposition of the at least one TiCN layer, the reactive atmosphere additionally contains, as a second reactive gas, a gas containing carbon, preferable CH4, used as the source of carbon to produce the TiCN layer wherein, while depositing the TiCN layer, a bipolar bias voltage is applied to the substrate to be coated, or at least one graphite target is used as the source of carbon for producing the

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a sputtering arrangement, a vacuum coating system, and a method for carrying out HiPIMS coating methods; the sputtering arrangement has at least two different interconnection possibilities and the switch to the second interconnection possibility, in which two sputtering sub-assemblies are operated simultaneously with high power pulses, achieves a productivity gain.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for coating substrates by sputtering of target material, the method comprising the following steps: —applying a first sputtering target made of a first material in a coating chamber to a power pulse by which, during a first time interval, a first amount of energy is transmitted to the sputtering target, wherein the maximum power density exceeds 50 W/cm2 and preferably 500 W/cm2; —applying a second sputtering target made of a second material that is different from the first material in the coating chamber to a power pulse by which, during a second time interval, a second amount of energy is transmitted to the sputtering target, wherein the maximum power density exceeds 50 W/cm2 and preferably 500 W/cm2, characterized in that the first amount of energy differs from the second amount of energy.

Abstract: A method for coating workpieces includes the following steps: charging a coating chamber with the workpieces to be coated; closing and evacuating the coating chamber to a predetermined process pressure, starting a coating source, which comprises a target as a material source, whereby particles are accelerated from the surface of the target toward substrates, characterized in that until the target has been conditioned a shield is provided between the target surface and the substrate, wherein meanwhile the substrates to be coated are at least partially subjected to a pretreatment.

Abstract: A method for performing reactive sputtering processes while maintaining the sputtering characteristic at the target as well as the deposition rate constant, or at least in an acceptable range for the industrial production context, independent of the target age.

Abstract: A workpiece having a coating, said coating comprising at least one TiXSi1-xN layer, characterized in that x?0.85 and the TixSi1-xN layer contains nanocrystals, the nanocrystals present having an average grain size of not more than 15 nm and having a (200) texture. The invention also relates to a process for producing the aforementioned layer, characterized in that the layer is produced using a sputtering process, in which current densities of greater than 0.2 A/cm2 arise on the target surface of the sputtering target, and the target is a TiXSi1-xN target, where x?0.85. An intermediate layer containing TiAlN or CrAlN is preferably provided between the TixSi1-xN layer and the substrate body of the workpiece.

Abstract: A method for producing a tool coated with a hard coating, the method including the following steps: applying a TiAlN coating layer onto a substrate with a first magnetron sputtering process and applying a TixSi1-xN coating layer onto the TiAlN layer with a second magnetron sputtering process, where x is smaller than or equal to 0.85 and preferably between and including 0.80 and 0. 70 whereas the second magnetron sputtering process is performed with power densities greater than 100 W/cm2 and as such is a HIPIMS process.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating and/or coating substrate surfaces having a substrate shutter system. The apparatus includes a substrate holding system that has a shutter system with a movable shutter element to be arranged around a portion of the holder system for shielding at least some of the substrates arranged in the holding system in such a manner that the surface of the shielded substrates cannot be treated during the execution of the one or more surface treatments or at least during a part of the execution of the one or more surface treatments because the movable shutter element interrupts partially or avoids completely the surface treatment of the shielded substrates. The movable shutter element has a half tube form that preferably allows covering at least an extension of 180° of the transversal section of the substrate holder system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an (AI,Ti)N coating exhibiting at least two different coating portions, A and B, having grain size in nanometer magnitude order characterized in that the coating portion A exhibit larger grain size and higher elastic modulus than the coating portion B. The present invention relates as well to a method for coating a substrate with a coating as described above whereby at least the coating portion A and/or the coating portion B of the (AI,Ti)N coating are/is deposited by means of PVD techniques.

Abstract: A method for coating workpieces includes the following steps: charging a coating chamber with the workpieces to be coated; closing and evacuating the coating chamber to a predetermined process pressure, starting a coating source, which comprises a target as a material source, whereby particles are accelerated from the surface of the target toward substrates, characterized in that until the target has been conditioned a shield is provided between the target surface and the substrate, wherein meanwhile the substrates to be coated are at least partially subjected to a pretreatment.

Abstract: A workpiece having a coating which has at least one TiB2 layer, characterized in that the TiB2 layers have a texture, in the XRD-spectrum, which leads to significant peaks which display a pronounced (002) orientation. The invention also relates to a method for producing said type of workpiece with a coating.

Abstract: When treating workpiece or substrate surfaces with the help of a vacuum plasma discharge between an anode and an cathode and whereby due to such treatment a solid is formed and deposited on the anode surface, which solid has a higher specific DC impedance than the specific DC impedance of the anode material, at least parts of the anode surface are shielded from such deposition by establishing thereat a shielding plasma.

Abstract: A workpiece having a coating, said coating comprising at least one TixSi1-xN layer, characterized in that x ?0.85 and the TixSi1-xN layer contains nanocrystals, the nanocrystals present having an average grain size of not more than 15 nm and having a (200) texture. The invention also relates to a process for producing the aforementioned layer, characterized in that the layer is produced using a sputtering process, in which current densities of greater than 0.2 A/cm2 arise on the target surface of the sputtering target, and the target is a TixSi1-xN target, where x ?0.85, An intermediate layer containing TiAlN or CrAlN is preferably provided between the TixSi1-xN layer and the substrate body of the workpiece.

Abstract: A device for cooling a target, having a component that includes a cooling duct and having an additional thermally conductive plate that is detachably fastened to the cooling side of the component, the cooling side being the side on which the cooling duct exerts its cooling action, characterized in that between the additional thermally conductive plate and the cooling side of the component, a first self-adhesive carbon film is provided, which is extensively and self-adhesively glued to the one side of the additional thermally conductive plate that faces the cooling side.

Abstract: A method for performing reactive sputtering processes while maintaining the sputtering characteristic at: the target as well as the deposition rate constant, or at least in an acceptable range for the industrial production context, independent of the target age.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for coating substrates by sputtering of target material, the method comprising the following steps:-applying a first sputtering target made of a first material in a coating chamber to a power pulse by which, during a first time interval, a first amount of energy is transmitted to the sputtering target, wherein the maximum power density exceeds 50 W/cm2 and preferably 500 W/cm2;-applying a second sputtering target made of a second material that is different from the first material in the coating chamber to a power pulse by which, during a second time interval, a second amount of energy is transmitted to the sputtering target, wherein the maximum power density exceeds 50 W/cm 2 and preferably 500W/cm2, characterized in that the first amount of energy differs from the second amount of energy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the reactive gas consumption in a coating process using plasma, comprising the following steps: a) admitting reactive gas into a coating chamber, wherein the corresponding reactive gas flow is measured and, at the same time, the partial pressure prevailing in the coating chamber is measured, without igniting a plasma; b) admitting reactive gas into a coating chamber, wherein the corresponding reactive gas flow is measured and, at the same time, the partial pressure prevailing in the coating chamber is measured, wherein a plasma is ignited.