Abstract: The present invention provides a method for depositing a wear resistant coating on a cutting tool substrate. Cathodic arc deposition is performed using one or more plate-shaped targets and a high arc current of at least 200 A, preferably at least 400 A, whereby a high total ion current of at least 5 A is provided in front of the substrates. A comparatively low bias voltage may be used in order to avoid negative effects of ions impinging on the substrates with high kinetic energy. Thanks to the method of the invention it is possible to deposit thick wear resistant coatings on cutting tool substrates in order to improve cutting performance and tool life.

Abstract: The present invention provides a coated cutting tool comprising a substrate and a coating, where the coating comprises at least one compound layer deposited by cathodic arc deposition, which has a thickness of 10-30 ?m characterized in that the coating has internal stress ranges from low tensile stresses, lower than 0.2 GPa, to compressive stresses, lower than 3 GPa.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for depositing a wear resistant coating on a cutting tool substrate. Cathodic arc deposition is performed using one or more plate-shaped targets and a high arc current of at least 200 A, preferably at least 400 A, whereby a high total ion current of at least 5 A is provided in front of the substrates. A comparatively low bias voltage may be used in order to avoid negative effects of ions impinging on the substrates with high kinetic energy. Thanks to the method of the invention it is possible to deposit thick wear resistant coatings on cutting tool substrates in order to improve cutting performance and tool life.

Abstract: The present invention provides a coated cutting tool comprising a substrate and a coating, where the coating comprises at least one compound layer deposited by cathodic arc deposition, which has a thickness of 10-30 ?m characterized in that the coating has internal stress ranges from low tensile stresses, lower than 0.2 GPa, to compressive stresses, lower than 3 GPa.

Abstract: An arc evaporation device including a cathode target surrounded by a housing that forms the anode. In order to achieve a uniform evaporation of the target material, several electrically conductive second connections (84, 86) originate from the housing, these connections being linked by a second conductor (74) fixing an envelope having a geometry corresponding to the envelope of the target or that of a first conductor (72), which links the electric connections (76, 78) of the target.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electric arc evaporator comprising an anode, a target (14) in the form of a cathode, a voltage source which is connected to the anode and the cathode and is used to generate an electric arc spot on the target surface (16), and a magnet arrangement (66) which is situated beneath the target, comprises an inner and an outer ring coil (70, 72) and is used to produce a magnetic field influencing an electric arc movement on the target surface. The aim of the invention is to displace the electric arc on defined paths over large areas of the target surface. To this end, an element (74, 76) having high relative magnetic permeability (&mgr;r>>1) and influencing the magnetic field of the ring coil in the region of the surface (16) of the target is associated to at least one of the ring coils (70, 72) of the magnet arrangement (66).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for treating a substrate (20) in an arc vaporization device (10). An arc current of intensity I flows in an evacuated space (12) in the arc vaporization device between an anode and a metal target (14, 16, 18) which acts as a cathode. Said arc current is used to vaporize the target material and produce a metal ion density. The invention aims to treat the substrate (20) without causing undesirable heating thereof. As a result, the metal ion density per target (14, 16, 18) is set by at least partially covering the target, said density being effective for treating substrates.

Abstract: The installation includes a plasma chamber containing two electrodes connected to a high-frequency generator, the substrate being mounted on one of the electrodes. A gas containing at least one silicon compound is introduced into the chamber and a plasma is created by a radiofrequency between the electrodes. The invention aims to obtain a high rate of deposition of amorphous semiconducting silicon on the substrate, at the same time as a small number of defects in the deposited film. This objective is achieved by selecting, for the ratio f/d between the frequency and the distance separating the electrodes, an optimum value included between 30 and 100 MHz/cm, the frequency being included between 25 and 150 MHz. For the optimum frequency, the deposition rate is a maximum and the number of defects is a minimum. This process may be utilized for the deposition of amorphous hydrogenated silicon or an alloy thereof from different gases or gas mixtures, and also for producing doped layers.