Abstract: A drill bit, and associated method of manufacture, characterized by the presence of a low friction coating on the drill flute surfaces and the absence of such coating from the facets on the cutting surfaces of the drill bit. In one form, a tungsten carbide based microdrill bit is coated with a high temperature diamond like carbon to a layer thickness measured in microns. The cutting facets of the microdrill bit are then ground to expose the tungsten carbide material. The microdrill bit formed thereby is particularly useful in creating holes through multilayer printed circuit boards as a part of forming electrical vias. Low friction flute surface coated microdrills exhibit materially longer drill life, better drill location accuracy, can operate at materially greater chiploads, and produce higher quality holes through printed circuit boards.