Abstract: A method of producing a thin film of an inorganic solid electrolyte having a relatively high ionic conductance is provided. In the method, a thin film made of an inorganic solid electrolyte is formed, by a vapor deposition method, on a base member being heated. The thin film obtained through the heat treatment exhibits an ionic conductance higher than that of the thin film formed on the base member not being heated. The ionic conductance can also be increased through the steps of forming the thin film made of the inorganic solid electrolyte on the base member at room temperature or a temperature lower than 40° C. and then heating the thin film of the inorganic solid electrolyte.

Abstract: A process of forming a ceramic coating on a component. The process generally entails placing the component in a coating chamber containing oxygen and an inert gas, heating a surface of the component to a temperature of about 100 to about 150° C., and then generating a metal vapor from at least one metal target using a microwave-stimulated, oxygen-containing sputtering technique. The metal vapor is then caused to condense on the component surface to form a metal layer, after which the metal layer is treated with a microwave-stimulated plasma to oxidize the metal layer and form an oxide layer having a columnar microstructure. The generating, condensing and treating steps can be repeated any number of times to form multiple oxide layers that together constitute the ceramic coating.

Abstract: Implantation process for cold cathode plasma immersion ion implantation (C2PI3) without a continuous plasma using very short high voltage, low duty cycle ionization pulses, in conjunction with a synchronously produced electron flow to neutralize positively charged wafer surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of forming an aligned film on a substrate. The film is deposited and aligned in a single step by a method comprising the step of bombarding a substrate with an ion beam at a designated incident angle to simultaneously (a) deposit the film onto the substrate and (b) arrange an atomic structure of the film in at least one predetermined aligned direction.

Abstract: Process for forming adherent coatings using plasma processing. Plasma Immersion Ion Processing (PIIP) is a process where energetic (hundreds of eV to many tens of keV) metallic and metalloid ions derived from high-vapor-pressure organometallic compounds in a plasma environment are employed to deposit coatings on suitable substrates, which coatings are subsequently relieved of stress using inert ion bombardment, also in a plasma environment, producing thereby strongly adherent coatings having chosen composition, thickness and density. Four processes are utilized: sputter-cleaning, ion implantation, material deposition, and coating stress relief. Targets are placed directly in a plasma and pulse biased to generate a non-line-of-sight deposition without the need for complex fixturing. If the bias is a relatively high negative potential (20 kV-100 kV) ion implantation will result.

Abstract: An optical material including a crystalline silicon and FexSi2 in the form of dots, islands, or a film is provided. The FexSi2 has a symmetrical monoclinic crystalline structure belonging to the P21/c space group and is synthesized at the surface or in the interior of the crystalline silicon. The monoclinic structure corresponds to a deformed structure of &bgr;-FeSi2 generated by heteroepitaxial stress between the {110} plane of the FexSi2 and the {111} plane of the crystalline silicon. The value of x is 0.85≦x≦1.1. An optical element using the optical material is also provided.

Abstract: A circuit pattern is formed with an electrically conductive paste composed by mixing electrically conductive fillers, the shapes of which have aspect ratios, and a magnetic material, a shape of which has an aspect ratio, in a resin 4. In addition, a circuit pattern is formed with complexes 10 of electrically conductive fillers, the shapes of which have aspect ratios, and a magnetic material 2, and the circuit pattern 21 is hardened while a magnetic line of force is applied in the thickness direction of the circuit pattern 21.

Abstract: A method of forming a layer of oxide or oxynitride upon a substrate including first placing a substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface in a high vacuum chamber and then exposing the upper surface to a beam of atoms or molecules, or both, of oxygen or nitrogen or a combination of same at a temperature sufficient to form a reacted layer on the upper surface of said substrate wherein said layer has a chemical composition different from the chemical composition of said substrate. The reacted upper layer is then exposed simultaneously in the chamber to atomic or molecular beams of oxygen, nitrogen or both and to a beam of metal atoms or metal molecules selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Zr, La, Y, Sc, Sr, Ba, Ti, Ta, W, Cr, Zr, Ca, Mg, Be, Pr, Nd and Hf to form a metal oxide, a metal nitride or a metal oxynitride layer in said layer.

Abstract: A personal ornament having a white coating layer comprises a base article made of a metal, and a white-colored stainless steel coating layer formed by a dry plating process on at least a part of the surface of the base article. Another personal ornament having a white coating layer comprises a base article made of a nonferrous metal, an underlying plating layer formed on the surface of the base article, and a white-colored stainless steel coating layer formed by a dry plating process on at least a part of the surface of the underlying plating layer.

Abstract: A series of processes have been discovered whereby uniform oxygen doping of lead chalcogenides have been achieved by using vapor deposition combined with in situ or ex situ ion implantation allowing the high yield manufacture of high S/N infrared detectors.

Abstract: Zincselenide (ZnSe) thin films were grown on quartz glass and GaAs(100) substrates by continuous wave (CW) CO2 laser with ion beam assisted deposition. The ZnSe thin films are applied for multilayer anti-reflection coatings and blue light emitting devices. There are advantages to this technique over the Ion-Beam coating, MBE, MOCVD and PLD methods for fabricating layered semiconductors. It is cheaper and safer than Ion-Beam coating, MBE, MOCVD and others. It is cheaper and safer to heat the target locally by using a continuous wave laser so that contaminations and heat radiation are reduced. It is also cheaper and safer to avoid the splash of PLD.

Abstract: A process for coating super fine ion particles of multiple elements on the surface of a micro route substrate includes a coating step operated under low temperatures and vacuums. First, raw micro routers are cleaned by electron beams under atmospheric pressures and room temperatures, then the raw micro routers are transferred into a vacuum environment, and the temperature of the environment is increased to a range between 120° C. to 180° C. Next, the surface of the micro route is cleaned by ions, and then a coating process is started. An arc source is used to bombard cations from a target while a filtration net is used to pass small cation particles. An ion assistant device is operated to further refine the filtered particles so that only super fine ion particles are coated on the surface of the micro route substrates.

Abstract: A method for enabling the formation of a carbonaceous hard film having a high hardness, strong adherence to the substrate, a wide range of substrate compatibility, and structural stability, which can be formed at room temperature and may cover a large area. The method includes vapor depositing a hard film of a carbonaceous material onto a substrate under vacuum by depositing a vaporized, hydrogen free carbonaceous material, which may be ionized or non-ionized, onto the substrate surface while irradiating the carbonaceous material with gas cluster ions, generated by ionizing gas clusters to form the film.

Abstract: A method of coating a substrate includes the step of forming a chrome layer on the substrate by using a magnetron sputtering device, and the step of forming a chrome nitride layer on the chrome layer by using an arc type ion plating device while maintaining the temperature of the substrate between 100 and 200° C. A vane used for a vane-type compressor, which is subjected to a surface treatment according to the coating method of the present invention is also provided.

Abstract: Stable operation of an ion beam deposition (IBD) station forming part of a multi-station apparatus and formation therein of a tribologically robust DLC-type i-C:H ultra-thin protective overcoat for high recording density magnetic media are achieved by pulsing (i.e., limiting) the flow of a hydrocarbon source gas to the ion beam source to deposition intervals between substrate transfer/pressure cycling. Embodiments include utilizing a circularly-shaped, closed drift, end Hall type ion beam source as part of a multi-process station apparatus, wherein undesirable arcing of the ion beam source during substrate transfer is eliminated, or at least substantially reduced, as a result of the pulsed supply of hydrocarbon source gas to the ion beam source.

Abstract: Tantalum and titanium source reagents are described, including tantalum amide and tantalum silicon nitride precursors for the deposition of tantalum nitride material on a substrate by processes such as chemical vapor deposition, assisted chemical vapor deposition, ion implantation, molecular beam epitaxy and rapid thermal processing. The precursors may be employed to form diffusion barrier layers on microelectronic device structures enabling the use of copper metallization and ferroelectric thin films in device construction.

Abstract: A method of forming an insulation film includes the steps of forming an insulation film on a substrate, and modifying a film quality of the insulation film by exposing the insulation film to atomic state oxygen O* or atomic state hydrogen nitride radicals NH* formed with plasma that uses Kr or Ar as inert gas.

Abstract: A method of coating an article wherein the method includes placing a large number N of non-industrial stock pieces in a vacuum chamber where N is a function of the cost of each stock piece, generating a plasma about the stock pieces, and supplying a current to the stock pieces at a level tailored to sufficiently coat each of the plurality of stock pieces with ion from the plasma and wherein the current level depends on the number N of stock pieces.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for improving the tribology between an air bearing surface of a magnetic recording head and a magnetic recording medium. In addition, techniques are described for reducing resistance to wear and corrosion of the air bearing surface of the recording head as well as resistance to corrosion of the recording medium. Various ion beam techniques can be used to enhance the properties of the recording head and recording medium, and include ion implant techniques, ion mixing techniques and ion burnishing techniques.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a solid lubricant film for cutting tools, having a hard material layer positioned on a tool steels, high-speed steels or cemented carbide substrate, includes the steps of: depositing on the hard material layer a solid lubricant oxide layer (MOX :0.2≦×<2) where the metal M is selected from Si, Zr, Ni, Fe, Co, Cr or combinations thereof. The thickness (t) of the solid lubricant oxide layer is 0.01 &mgr;m≦t<3.0 &mgr;m. The solid lubricant oxide film is deposited on the harden layer by heating a vacuum ion-plating chamber to a temperature of between from 150° C. to 450° C., and depositing on the coated cutting tool the solid lubricant oxide layer by an ion-plating. A negative bias charge is applied using a direct current of from −15 V to −1000 V or a high frequency alternating current equivalent to an effective negative bias charge of the direct current of from −15 V to −1000 V.

Abstract: A process for forming a thermally stable low-dielectric constant material is provided. A gas mixture is prepared to form a fluorinated amorphous carbon (a-C:F) material. The gas mixture is mixed with a boron-containing gas.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a 1-inch diameter glass substrate for a magnetic disc in which a plate glass is press molded using a mold formed of a super-hard material and having a surface of a prescribed roughness. Ion implantation using nitrogen ions is performed on the surface of the mold, after which ion implantation using palladium ions, platinum ions, and carbon ions is performed in the order given. Finally, the surface of the mold is coated with a graphite or amorphous diamond-like carbon coating.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a 2-5 inch diameter glass substrate for a magnetic disc in which a plate glass is press molded using a mold formed of a super-hard material and having a surface of a prescribed roughness. Ion implantation using nitrogen ions is performed on the surface of the mold, after which ion implantation using palladium ions, platinum ions, and carbon ions is performed in the order given. Finally, the surface of the mold is coated with a graphite or amorphous diamond-like carbon coating.

Abstract: A method for making a multi-layered integrated circuit structure, includes depositing a methyl compound spin on glass layer over a substrate. The spin on glass layer is treated by plasma-deposition to form a SiO2 skin on the methyl compound spin on glass layer and then treated again by plasma-deposition to form a cap layer which adheres to the SiO2 skin.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an HSS tool with a PVD coating and with at least one cutting edge. The cutting edge has a radius of 15-25 &mgr;m and the carbides in the HSS are in contact with the coating. The present invention also relates to a method of making an HSS tool provided with a PVD coating with improved wear resistance. The improvement is obtained by subjecting the tool prior to the deposition of the coating to an electropolishing treatment such that a cutting edge radius of 15-25 &mgr;m is obtained and that the carbides in the HSS are revealed.

Abstract: An impurity solid including boron as impurity and a solid sample to which boron is introduced are held in a vacuum chamber. Ar gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber to generate plasma composed of the Ar gas. A voltage allowing the impurity solid to serve as a cathode for the plasma is applied to the impurity solid and the impurity solid is sputtered by ions in the plasma, thereby mixing boron included in the impurity solid into the plasma composed of Ar gas. A voltage allowing the solid sample to serve as a cathode for the plasma is applied to the solid sample, and boron mixed into the plasma is introduced to the surface portion of the solid sample.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved diamond-like nanocomposite composition comprising networks of a-C:H and a-Si:O wherein the H-concentration is between 40% and 80% of the C-concentration and having a coefficient of friction against steel which is smaller than 0.1 in air with a relative humidity up to 90%, or in water. The invention relates also to a process for depositing the composition on a substrate in a vacuum chamber. The composition comprises preferably 30 to 70 at % of C, 20 to 40 at % of H, 5 to 15 at % of Si and 5 to 15 at % of O and can be doped with transition metals.

Abstract: A method of forming titanium boronitride coatings using ion beam assisted deposition. The method involves exposing the substrate to a vacuum, depositing titanium onto the substrate, substantially simultaneously exposing the substrate to a source comprising boron and nitrogen, and substantially simultaneously bombarding the substrate with an energetic beam of ions under conditions effective to form a quantity of titanium-boron bonds and a quantity of titanium-nitrogen bonds effective to produce a titanium boronitride coating having a hardness of at least about 5000 kg/mm2.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an object in a vacuum treatment apparatus having a vacuum recipient for containing an atmosphere, includes the steps of supporting a substrate on a work piece carrier arrangement in the recipient and treating the substrate to manufacture the object in the vacuum recipient. The treating process includes generating electrical charge carriers in the atmosphere and in the recipient which are of the type that form electrically insulating material and providing at least two electroconductive surfaces in the recipient. Power, such as a DC signal, is supplied to at least one of the electroconductive surfaces so that at least one of the electroconductive surfaces receives the electrically insulating material for covering at least part of that electroconductive surface. This causes electrical isolation of that electroconductive surface which leads to arcing and damage to the object.

Abstract: Process for the depositing, onto a substrate, of a coating essentially constituted of an electronic conductor compound, in which the said coating is formed by producing alternatively, on the one hand, in at least one depositing zone, one or several deposits of a determined thickness of an electronic conductor element on the substrate, and, on the other hand, in at least one reaction zone, one or several reactions of the element thus deposited with ions of a reactive gas which are implanted into the deposit of the above-mentioned element over approximately this entire thickness determined in a way as to form, preferably with the totality of this element, the said compound, the above-mentioned ions being submitted to a kinetic energy below 2000 V, while the aforesaid thickness of the deposit of the element is determined as a function of the kinetic energy applied in such a way as to allow the implantation of these ions over approximately this entire thickness.

Abstract: The present invention relates to post manufacturing operations for improving the working life of known bonding tools such as capillaries, wedges and single point TAB tools of the type used in the semiconductor industry to make fine wire or TAB finger interconnections. After the desired bonding tool is manufactured to predetermined specifications, dimensions and tolerances, it is placed in a sputtering chamber with hard target material with an ionizing gas. A controlled volume of sputtered hard material is generated at high temperature by plasma ion bombardment and deposited onto the working face of the bonding tool while the tool is held at a temperature that prevents distortion. A very thin amorphous hard layer is bonded onto the working face of the bonding tool which increases the working life of most tools by an order of magnitude and there is no requirement for additional processing.

Abstract: A process for modifying a nitride surface includes irradiating energized ion particles onto the nitride surface while blowing a reactive gas directly on the nitride surface under a vacuum condition. An aluminum nitride for a direct bond copper (DBC) can be obtained by forming a thin copper film on the thusly modified nitride.

Abstract: A process for fabricating synthetic materials by atomic alloying of a host material. Energetic high vapor pressure modifier elements or species are introduced into the host matrix of a fluidic precursor high metling point material so as to obtain an engineered material characterized by a range of controllable optical electrical, thermal, chemical or mechanical properties not exhibited by either the modifier or the precursor material. The method for forming a synthetically engineered material by forming a fluid host matrix material on a moving substrate surface, such as a wheel; directing a plurality of discrete fluid modifier materials, activated or unactivated, in a stream, as from a nozzle, toward the substrate surface in a direction such that it converges with the host matrix material to produce a ribbon of modified material.

Abstract: A surface reforming method of a metal product, wherein a platinum film is formed on the surface of a metal product by injecting onto that surface a nitrogen ion, a carbon ion and a platinum ion in that order, and then injected onto said platinum film a second platinum ion with the aim of improving the exfoliation resistance of the platinum film being formed on the metal surface, and the abrasion resistance of the surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of forming an intermediate film and a hard cabon film over the inner surface of a cylindrical member having a bore, such as a bushing or a cylinder, with the hard carbon film being formed on the intermediate film with a uniform thickness, greatly enhancing of abrasion resistance of the inner surface. The cylindrical member is placed in a vacuum vessel, an auxiliary electrode of an intermediate film forming material, such as a titanium-silicon alloy or the like, is inserted in the bore of the cylindrical member, a sputtering gas is supplied into the vacuum vessel, a voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrode to produce a plasma around the auxiliary electrode in order that the intermediate film forming material is sputtered from the auxiliary electrode and an intermediate film is formed over the inner surface of the cylindrical member.

Abstract: A method for modifying an (oxide) material of a substrate surface to a nitride material by radiating reactive ion particles having a certain amount of energy onto the substrate surface is disclosed. The thin film deposited on the surface-modified substrate has improved material properties. In particular, a surface treatment using ion beam is executed on an Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 substrate to initially form an AlN thin film, and then a GaN thin film is deposited on said AlN thin film. From this, it is possible to obtain a high quality GaN thin film having a better material property, compared with a GaN thin film according to the prior art.

Abstract: A surface treating is performed by an electric discharge. The electric discharge is generated by applying a voltage between an electrode and a metal workpiece. The electrode is a solid or green compact electrode or the like which is made of a reforming material. The workpiece may be an end mill or the like. Then, a coating layer is formed on a surface of the metal workpiece. Thereafter, a nitriding treatment is performed on the coating layer in a nitriding vessel or the like. Thus, a hard coating layer of better quality is formed on the surface of the workpiece whether a material of the workpiece is steel or hard metal.

Abstract: A coating scheme comprising a boron and nitrogen containing layer that satisfactorily adheres to a substrate is disclosed. The satisfactorily adherent coating scheme comprises a base layer, a first intermediate layer, a second intermediate layer and the boron and nitrogen containing layer. The coating scheme is compatible with tooling for drilling, turning, milling, and/or forming hard, difficult to cut materials. The coating scheme has been applied to cutting inserts comprised of cermets or ceramics using PVD techniques. The boron and nitrogen layer preferably comprises boron nitride and, more preferably, cubic boron nitride.

Abstract: A surface of a substrate is vacuum coated with a material by sequentially implanting and depositing ions from a single ion source. First ions of the coating material are initially implanted into the surface of the substrate to form an implanted substrate layer. Next, second ions of the material are deposited on the implanted substrate layer to form a seed layer. Third ions of the material are then implanted into the seed layer to form an intermixed layer. Fourth ions of the material are deposited over the intermixed layer to form the coating over the substrate.

Abstract: A titanium oxide photocatalyst having metal ions of one or more metals incorporated therein selected from the group consisting of Cr, V, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ag, Pd, Ni, Mn and Pt, wherein the metal ions are implanted from the surface to deep inside of the bulk of the photocatalyst in an amount of at least 1.times.10.sup.15 ions per g of the titanium oxide; a process for producing the photocatalyst; and a photocatalytic reaction method using the photocatalyst.

Abstract: A hard film is covered on the outer circumferential surface of a piston ring by means of an arc ion plating. The hard film has a mixture of crystal structure of CrN and crystal structure of Mo.sub.2 N containing oxygen in a solid solution state, and comprises chromium at 40 to 78 percent by weight, molybdenum at 3 to 35 percent by weight, oxygen at 3 to 20 percent by weight and the remainder of nitrogen. The crystal particle size is less than 1 .mu.m. The Vickers hardness is within a range from 1600 to 2500. The film thickness is preferably 1 to 60 .mu.m. Carbon in a solid solution state at 0.5 to 8 percent by weight may be substituted for the oxygen. Alternatively, both oxygen and carbon may be contained in a solid solution state with oxygen at 3 to 20 percent by weight, carbon at 0.5 to 8 percent by weight with the total content of carbon and oxygen within 25 percent by weight.

Abstract: A cutting tool includes a substrate and a coating on the substrate. The coating includes a base adhesion layer that is on at least a portion of the substrate. A first intermediate adhesion layer, which includes boron and a first element, that is on the base adhesion layer. A second intermediate adhesion layer, which includes boron, the first element, and nitrogen, that is on the first intermediate adhesion layer. An outer adhesion layer, which includes boron and nitrogen preferably in the form of cubic boron nitride, that is on the second intermediate adhesion layer. A wear coating scheme wherein the innermost layer of the wear coating scheme is on the outer adhesion layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: ionizing decaborane; and implanting ionized decaborane into a silicon wafer. Solid decaborane can be vaporized in a reduced pressure atmosphere or by heating. A single decaborane molecule can provide 10 boron atoms while the acceleration energy per each boron atom can be reduced to about 1/10 of the acceleration energy for a decaborane molecule.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process of forming an antimicrobial coating on a surface of a medical implant, the coating comprising an antimicrobially effective amount of antimicrobial metal atoms incorporated into a coating of amorphous carbonaceous material.

Abstract: A cold cathode electron emission structure includes an amorphous carbon matrix having cesium dispersed therein, with the cesium present in substantially non-crystalline form. A cesium-carbon-oxide layer is positioned on the amorphous carbon matrix, constitutes an electron emission surface and causes the cold cathode electron emission structure to exhibit a lowered surface work function. A display structure including the aforedescribed cold cathode electron emission structure further includes a target electrode including a phosphor and exhibiting a target potential for attraction of electrons. A gate electrode is positioned between the electron emission structure and the target electrode and is biased at a gate potential which attracts electrons, but which is insufficient, in combination with the target potential, to cause emission of a beam of electrons from the electron emission structure.

Abstract: An improved magnetic-recording disk and a process for manufacturing magnetic-recording disks are disclosed. A precision cold-rolled authentic stainless steel is the substrate for a magnetic-recording disk. The surface of the substrate may be hardened by plasma nitriding, plasma carburizing, or plasma carbonitriding. A hard coating may be applied to the substrate by evaporative reactive ion plating or reactive sputtering of aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, or nitrides, carbides, or borides of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten.

Abstract: This invention includes the discovery that poorly crystallized hexagonal-like films of boron nitride with sp.sup.2 bonding can be converted by ion implantation to amorphous, cubic-like, boron nitride with sp.sup.3 bonding. Preferably the sp.sup.2 bonded film has a considerable amount of residual stress. The discovery that sp.sup.2 bonded BN can be converted to sp.sup.3 bonded BN may prove to be a significant advancement in coating technology for the electronics, machine tool, biomedical, and automotive industries. This discovery is important in that growth processes compatible with high volume production can be used to grow sp.sup.2 bonded BN (e.g., sputtering, e-beam evaporation, and CVD), then implantation procedures can be used to subsequently change the film to sp.sup.3 bonding. The amorphous, cubic-like, BN films can be grown on silicon wafers. This technique is also well-suited for metallic and plastic substrates because both the deposition and implantation processes occur at low temperatures.

Abstract: A method of forming a magnetic structure having layers with different magnetization orientations provided by a common magnetic bias layer includes the steps of depositing an antiferromagnetic layer between first and second ferromagnetic layers. During the deposition of the first and second ferromagnetic layers, magnetization fields of different orientations are employed separately to induce different directions of magnetization in the first and second layers. The different directions of magnetization in the first and second layers are sustained, through the process of exchange coupling, by the interposed antiferromagnetic layer which serves as the bias layer. A magnetic structure thus fabricated, can be used as a read transducer capable of generating differential signals with common mode noise rejection, and can be used as a magnetic pole for a magnetic head with reduced Barkhausen noise.

Abstract: A deposition process provides selective areal deposition on a substrate surface having separate areas of different materials comprises forming a plasma over the substrate, injecting coating species into the plasma by either of sputtering or gaseous injection, adding a reactive gas for altering surface binding energy at the coating surface, and biasing the substrate during deposition to bombard the substrate with ionic species from the plasma. Surface binding energy is altered, in the general case, differently for the separate areas, enhancing selectivity. Bias power is managed to exploit the alteration in surface binding energy. In the case of gaseous injection of the coating species, and in some cases of sputtering provision of the coating material, the temperature of the substrate surface is managed as well. In an alternative embodiment, selectivity is to phase of the coating material rather than to specific areas on the substrate, and a selected phase may be preferentially deposited on the substrate.

Abstract: An ion beam deposition method is provided for manufacturing a coated substrate with improved abrasion resistance, and improved lifetime. According to the method, the substrate is first chemically cleaned to remove contaminants. In the second step, the substrate is inserted into a vacuum chamber, and the air in said chamber is evacuated. In the third step, the substrate surface is bombarded with energetic ions to assist in the removal of residual hydrocarbons and surface oxides, and to activate the surface. Alter After the substrate surface has been sputter-etched, a protective, abrasion-resistant coating is deposited by ion beam deposition. The ion beam-deposited coating may contain one or more layers. Once the chosen thickness of the coating has been achieved, the deposition process on the substrates is terminated, the vacuum chamber pressure is increased to atmospheric pressure, and the coated substrate products having improved abrasion-resistance are removed from the vacuum chamber.