Abstract: A system and method are provided for vacuum coating articles that includes a means for moving the articles in semi-continuous fashion successively through a series of vacuum chambers. A carousel is transported successively through each of the vacuum chambers that rotates the articles in an epicycloidal fashion. A means is also provided for precisely and reproducibly loading and unloading the carousel with the article.

Abstract: A coating of cubic boron nitride dispersed in a matrix of disordered boron and carbon, such as boron carbide, is provided by sputtering. The coating is wear resistant, adherent, lubricous, and suitable as a coating for tools, molds, and wear parts. The coating has first, second, and third regions. The first region is sputtered in an inert atmosphere onto a substrate such as tool steel and is at least one layer of disordered boron and carbon. The inert sputtering atmosphere is gradually replaced with nitrogen to form the second region, which has cubic boron nitride crystals in a gradually increasing concentration dispersed in a matrix of disordered boron and carbon. The third region atop the second region is an outer wear layer that has a substantially uniform concentration throughout of cubic boron nitride dispersed in disordered boron and carbon.