Abstract: A method of forming a coating including providing a component within a mesh cage in a chamber, wherein the mesh cage is coupled to a first power supply and the component is coupled to a second power supply. A coating is deposited on the component, wherein depositing the coating includes supplying a coating precursor gas to the chamber, applying a pulsed voltage to the mesh cage with the first power supply generating a plasma, and applying a voltage to the component. The method may provide a diamond-like coated component includes diamond-like carbon coating on the surface of the component exhibiting a thickness in the range of 10 ?m to 40 ?m and a hardness, as determined by nanoindentation, in the range of 10 GPa to 25 GPa.

Abstract: A method for plasma immersion ion processing including providing a hollow substrate having an interior surface defining an interior and a gas feed tube extending through the interior, wherein the gas feed tube is hollow and includes a wall having a plurality of holes defined therein and applying tension to said gas feed tube by affixing a spring to one end of said gas feed tube and said vacuum chamber. The method may also include heating the gas feed tube to a temperature in the range of 50° C. to 650° C.; supplying a precursor gas to the interior of the hollow substrate through the plurality of holes in the gas feed tube and generating a plasma; and applying a negative bias to the hollow substrate relative to the gas feed tube to draw ions from the plasma to the interior surface to form a coating on the interior surface.

Abstract: A method of coating a substrate, with the method comprising: providing a substrate; dispersing nanodiamond powder in a liquid to provide a coating precursor; converting the liquid of the coating precursor to a vapor; introducing the coating precursor to a vapor deposition process; and operating the vapor deposition process to produce a nanocrystalline diamond-containing nanocomposite coating on the substrate, the nanocomposite coating produced using the coating precursor and comprising the nanodiamond particles.

Abstract: A method and system for plasma immersion ion processing including providing a hollow substrate having an interior surface defining an interior and a gas feed tube extending through the interior, wherein the gas feed tube is hollow and includes a wall having a plurality of holes defined therein. The method and system may also include heating the gas feed tube to a temperature in the range of 50° C. to 650° C.; supplying a precursor gas to the interior of the hollow substrate through the plurality of holes in the gas feed tube and generating a plasma; and applying a negative bias to the hollow substrate relative to the gas feed tube to draw ions from the plasma to the interior surface to form a coating on the interior surface.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of coating a substrate, with the method comprising: providing a substrate; dispersing nanodiamond powder in a liquid to provide a coating precursor; converting the liquid of the coating precursor to a vapor; introducing the coating precursor to a vapor deposition process; and operating the vapor deposition process to produce a nanocrystalline diamond-containing nanocomposite coating on the substrate, the nanocomposite coating produced using the coating precursor and comprising the nanodiamond particles.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a coating and a method of applying such coating that may include nanocrystals of a transition metal compound embedded in an amorphous phase or layered structure of transition metal compounds with an amorphous phase. The transition metal compound may be selected from the group consisting of metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal silicides and combinations thereof. The amorphous matrix may include a ceramic.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for plasma ion deposition and coating formation. A vacuum chamber may be supplied, wherein the vacuum chamber is formed by a hollow substrate having a length, diameter and interior surface. A plasma may be formed within the chamber while applying a negative bias to the hollow substrate to draw ions from the plasma to the interior surface of the hollow substrate to deposit ions onto the interior surface and forming a coating. The coating may have a Vickers Hardness Number (Hv) of at least 500.

Abstract: A system and method for depositing coatings on an inner surface of a tubular structure includes at least one pump for creating and maintaining a vacuum in the tubular structure, a meshed electrode adapted to be positioned in a center of the tubular structure, and a biased voltage power supply connected to the meshed electrode. The biased voltage power supply is adapted to apply a negative voltage to the meshed electrode such that the negative voltage causes a hollow cathode discharge inside the meshed electrode. The creation of the hollow cathode discharge causes ions to be drawn out of a mesh on the meshed electrode and accelerate onto an inner surface of the tubular structure, thereby coating the inner surface with a desired coating.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a coating on a substrate. The method may include depositing metal atoms on one or more surfaces of a substrate, subjecting the metal atoms to a reactive gas, and producing a coating layer of a metal compound, wherein the metal compound may include nanocrystals of a transition metal compound in a ceramic matrix, wherein the transition metal compound may be selected from the group consisting of metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal silicides and combinations thereof. The reactive gas may be supplied from a precursor containing silicon, carbon and hydrogen, wherein the precursor may have a MW of greater than or equal to 100.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for plasma ion deposition and coating formation. A vacuum chamber may be supplied formed by a hollow substrate having a length, diameter and interior surface. A plasma may be formed within the chamber while applying a negative bias to the hollow substrate to draw ions from the plasma to the interior surface of the hollow substrate to deposit ions onto the interior surface and forming a coating. The coating may have a Vickers Hardness Number (Hv) of at least 500.

Abstract: Glass having a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating on top of an intermediate bonding layer of tin oxide, and a method for producing same. A glow-discharge method is used to apply the DLC coating. The glass may be chemically strengthened prior to applying the DLC coating.

Abstract: This invention is a method of forming a nitride layer on at least one metal or metal alloy biomedical device, comprising: providing a vacuum chamber with at least one biomedical device positioned thereon on a worktable within the vacuum chamber; reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber; introducing nitrogen into the vacuum chamber so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber is about 0.01 to about 10 milli-Torr; generating electrons within the vacuum chamber to form positively charged nitrogen ions; providing a negative bias to the worktable so that the positively charged nitrogen ions contact the biomedical devices under conditions such that a nitride layer forms on the at least one prosthetic device.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a coating and a method of applying such coating that may include nanocrystals of a transition metal compound embedded in an amorphous phase or layered structure of transition metal compounds with an amorphous phase. The transition metal compound may be selected from the group consisting of metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal silicides and combinations thereof. The amorphous matrix may include a ceramic.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for substantially uniformly coating an interior surface of a ferromagnetic tubular structure such as a ferromagnetic tube having a high aspect ratio. The method entails inducing a magnetic field of a given magnitude within the tubular structure. Further, a bias is applied at a given voltage to the tubular structure. Then, the interior surface of the tubular structure is exposed to a gaseous precursor material under conditions effective to convert a quantity of the gaseous precursor material to ionize gaseous precursor material. The given magnitude and voltage is such that it is effective to deposit the ionized the gaseous precursor material onto the interior surface and converts the ionized gaseous precursor material to a substantially uniform protective coating in the interior surface.

Abstract: This invention is a method for metal plasma ion implantation and metal plasma ion deposition, comprising: providing a vacuum chamber with at least one workpiece having a surface positioned on a worktable within the vacuum chamber; reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber; generating a plasma of metal ions within the vacuum chamber, applying a negative bias to the worktable to thereby accelerate metal ions from the plasma toward at least one workpiece to thereby either implant metal ions into or deposit metal ions onto the workpiece or both. This invention includes an apparatus for metal ion implantation and metal ion plasma deposition, comprising: a vacuum chamber, a metal plasma generator within the vacuum chamber, and at least one worktable within the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: This invention is a method of forming a nitride layer on at least one metal or metal alloy biomedical device, comprising: providing a vacuum chamber with at least one biomedical device positioned thereon on a worktable within the vacuum chamber; reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber; introducing nitrogen into the vacuum chamber so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber is about 0.01 to about 10 milli-Torr; generating electrons within the vacuum chamber to form positively charged nitrogen ions; providing a negative bias to the worktable so that the positively charged nitrogen ions contact the biomedical devices under conditions such that a nitride layer forms on the at least one prosthetic device.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for substantially uniformly coating an interior surface of a ferromagnetic tubular structure such as a ferromagnetic tube having a high aspect ratio. The method entails inducing a magnetic field of a given magnitude within the tubular structure. Further, a bias is applied at a given voltage to the tubular structure. Then, the interior surface of the tubular structure is exposed to a gaseous precursor material under conditions effective to convert a quantity of the gaseous precursor material to ionize gaseous precursor material. The given magnitude and voltage is such that it is effective to deposit the ionized the gaseous precursor material onto the interior surface and converts the ionized gaseous precursor material to a substantially uniform protective coating in the interior surface.

Abstract: Methods for coating the interior surface of tubular structures having high aspect ratios and tubular structures produced by such methods. The interior surface of the tubular structure is coated by inducing a magnetic field having a given magnitude around a circumference along a length of the tubular structure, applying a bias at a given voltage to the tubular structure, and exposing the interior surface to a precursor material to deposit the precursor material onto the interior surface of the tubular structure.

Abstract: Methods for coating the interior surface of tubular structures having high aspect ratios and to tubular structures produced by such methods