Abstract: A coating apparatus having a vacuum chamber, a plurality of cathodes arranged therein and also a HIPIMS power source, characterized in that in addition to at least one coating cathode which can be operated with the HIPIMS power source a plurality of etching cathodes is provided which are smaller in area in comparison to the coating cathode, with the etching cathodes being connectable in a predetermined or predeterminable sequence to the HIPIMS power source.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus for the manufacture of at least substantially hydrogen-free ta-C layers on substrates, which includes a vacuum chamber, which is connectable to an inert gas source and a vacuum pump, a support device in the vacuum chamber, at least one graphite cathode having an associated magnet arrangement forming a magnetron that serves as a source of carbon material, a bias power supply for applying a negative bias voltage to the substrates on the support device, at least one cathode power supply for the cathode, which is connectable to the at least one graphite cathode and to an associated anode and which is designed to transmit high power pulse sequences spaced at intervals of time, with each high power pulse sequence comprising a series of high frequency DC pulses adapted to be supplied, optionally after a build-up phase, to the at least one graphite cathode.

Abstract: A vacuum coating apparatus and method comprising a vacuum chamber, at least one pair of opposing cathodes, a power supply adapted to supply an AC voltage to said opposing cathodes to operate them in a dual magnetron sputtering mode, wherein at least one further cathode for PVD coating is provided in said vacuum chamber, characterized in that the at least one further cathode is a magnetron cathode and a further power supply is provided in the form of a pulsed power supply or a DC power supply is provided which is connectable to the magnetron cathode or arc cathode.

Abstract: A dual magnetron sputtering power supply for use with a magnetron sputtering apparatus having at least first and second sputtering cathodes for operation in the dual magnetron sputtering mode, there being a means for supplying a flow of reactive gas to each of said first (1) and second (4) cathodes via first (12) and second (14) flow control valves each associated with a respective one of said first and second cathodes and each adapted to control a flow of reactive gas to the respectively associated cathode, the power supply having, for each of said first and second cathodes a means for deriving a feed-back signal relating to the voltage prevailing at that cathode, a control circuit for controlling the flow of reactive gas to the respectively associated cathode by controlling the respective flow control valve and adapted to adjust the respective flow control valve to obtain a voltage feedback signal from the respective cathode corresponding to a set point value set for that cathode.

Abstract: A vacuum treatment apparatus (10) for treating at least one substrate (12) and comprising a treatment chamber (14), at least one cathode (16), a power supply (18) associated with the cathode for generating ions of a material present in the gas phase in the chamber and/or ions of a material of which the cathode is formed, a substrate carrier (20) and a bias power supply for applying a negative bias to the substrate carrier and any substrate present thereon, whereby to attract said ions to said at least one substrate, said cathode power supply being adapted to apply relatively high power pulses of relatively short duration to said cathode at intervals resulting in lower average power levels comparable with DC operation, e.g. in the range from ca.

Abstract: The invention relates to an object comprising a relatively soft carrier material, optionally, an adhesive layer and/or an adhesive layer system, which are applied to the carrier material, and a relatively hard decorative layer. The object is characterised in that an intermediate layer is provided between the carrier material and the decorative layer and/or between the adhesive layer and the adhesive layer system and the decorative layer and comprises at least DLC (diamond like carbon) as the main component. The invention also relates to a method for producing said type of object.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a hard material protective coating on a substrate consisting of a metal or of a electrically conductive ceramic material, e.g. a coated tool for use in a machine tool, or components exposed to high temperature wherein, prior to the deposition of the hard protective material coating, the substrate is pretreated by bombardment with metal ions of at least one rare earth element thereby resulting in implantation of some of said ions into said substrate.