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 characterized 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: 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.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of an article having first and second surface regions of different coefficients of friction in a treatment chamber with a rotary support for the articles and capable of simultaneously carrying out at least two PVD coating processes. The first PVD coating process is carried out with a comparatively directed vapor flux from one or more targets which can compose one or more of the elements B, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W, carbides of these elements and carbon. A second PVD coating process is carried out with a comparatively less directed or non-directed vapor flux of carbon.

Abstract: There is disclosed a cutting tool comprising a body of a sintered cemented carbide or cermet, ceramic or high speed steel on which at least on the functioning parts of the surface of the body, a thin, adherent, hard and wear resistant coating is applied. The coating comprises a laminar structure of refractory compounds in a polycrystalline, repetitive form, (MLX/Al2O3)/(MLX/Al2O3)/(MLX/Al2O3)/(MLX/Al2O3)/ . . . , where the alternating sublayers consist of metal nitrides (or carbides) and crystalline alumina of the alpha (&agr;)- and/or the gamma (&ggr;) phase, preferably of metal nitrides and crystalline alumina of the gamma phase, and in said coating the sequence of individual layer thicknesses has no repeat period but is essentially aperiodic throughout the entire multilayered structure. The metal elements in the layers MLX are selected from Ti, Nb, Hf, V, Ta, Mo, Zr, Cr, W, Al and mixtures thereof. The total thickness of said multilayered coating is between 0.5 and 20 &mgr;m.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is now provided a body of cemented carbide or cermets coated with at least one diamond layer. The diamond layer is smooth on all sides of the body with an Ra<1 &mgr;m. According to the present invention there is also provided a method for reactive ion etching of a diamond layer on a complex shape body where the etching is efficient at all sides of the body exposed to the plasma. The etching is made using a C— or oxygen-containing plasma with the possibility of etching of a diamond layer covered by an outer layer of preferably a Si containing material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cutting tool comprising a body of sintered cemented carbide or cermet, ceramic or high speed steel on which at least one of the functioning parts of the surface of the body, a thin, adherent, hard and wear resistant coating is applied. The coating comprises a laminar, multilayered structure of refractory compounds in polycrystalline, non-repetitive form, MX/NX/MX/NX where the alternating layers MX and NX are metal nitrides or carbides with the metal elements M and N selected from the group consisting of Ti, Nb, Hf, V, Ta, Mo, Zr, Cr, Al and W. The sequence of individual layer thicknesses is essentially aperiodic throughout the entire multilayered structure, and layer thicknesses are larger than 0.1 nanometer but smaller than 30 nanometer, preferably smaller than 20 nanometer. The total thickness of said multilayered coating is larger than 0.5 .mu.m but smaller than 20 .mu.m.