Abstract: Disclosed is a bearing component having at least one layer having a high hardness and a high current insulation property, the layer comprising a nonconductive oxide layer selected from the group comprising an Al2O3 layer, a TaO layer, an SiO2 layer, a mixed layer comprising two or more of the foregoing oxides, a multilayer structure comprising alternating layers of two or more of the foregoing oxides and a DLC layer such as a ta-C layer, there being at least one ALD layer comprising at least one layer of a material deposited by an ALD (atomic layer deposition) process on the at least one layer having a high hardness and a high current insulation property, the ALD layer itself having a high current insulation property and comprising a material or layer structure selected from the said group of materials.

Abstract: A coated article of steel having at least one layer having a high hardness and a high resistance to wear applied by a deposition (e.g., PVD, a CVD, or PECVD) process, at least one surface region of said article and at least one ALD layer comprising at least one layer of a material deposited by an ALD (atomic layer deposition) process on said at least one layer, wherein the steel of which the article is made is a martensitic grade of steel, wherein the at least one layer, is a DLC layer, a metal-DLC layer, or a CrAlN layer and has a thickness in the range from 0.5 microns to 4 microns and a hardness in the range from 20 GPa to 100 GPa, and wherein the ALD layer has a thickness in the range from 1 nm to 100 nm.