Abstract: To provide sliding components each comprising a base metal and, joined thereto, a sliding face member having a sliding face of crowning profile, in particular, sliding components such as valve train parts, a cam follower and a rocker arm of an automobile engine. A sliding component having a structure comprising (1) a ceramic forming a sliding face and (2) a base metal joined together, in which the extent of crowning of the sliding face is at least 0.1 to 0.4% of the maximum length of the junction face of the ceramic. The ceramic has a four-point flexural strength of at least 50 Kg/mm as measured in accordance with the Japanese Industrial Standard R1601. The base metal is mainly steel at least the surface of which has preferably a martensite texture and has a hardness of higher than 45 in terms of H.sub.RC. The structure may have an intermediate layer of a metal or cermet.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of combining wires and fibers to fabricate fiber reinforced composites is disclosed. The fibers are drum wound on an adhesive-coated substrate followed by coating with a barrier layer to preserve the fiber spacing. A layer of the adhesive material is then applied to the fiber wrap and wire is wound therearound. A series of increasingly viscous tacky materials can then be applied to the wire wraps so that all gaps between the wires are filled. The inventive method can be used to form standard wire/fiber preforms, variable spacing wire/fiber preforms, ring preforms and wire only preforms which can be processed into fiber reinforced composite materials.

Abstract: This invention relates to a high-strength ceramic fiber composite with a high temperature stability and an improved oxidation stability and to a process for producing it.

Abstract: A method for joining a woven flexible ceramic fabric and a thin metal sheet creating an integral metal surfaced flexible thermal protection article, which method comprises:placing multiple dots of high temperature metallic or ceramic brazing material between the flexible ceramic fabric and the thin metal sheet in a random or organized pattern, with the proviso that the brazing material covers about 10% or less of the surface of one flat side of the metal sheet;heating the flexible ceramic fabric, brazing material and thin metal sheet for a predetermined period of time to integrally connect the same; andcooling the formed flexible article to ambient temperature. Preferably the flexible ceramic is selected from fibers comprising atoms of silicon, carbon, nitrogen, boron, oxygen or combinations thereof. The flexible thermal protection article produced is also part of the present invention. The thin metal sheet is comprised of titanium, aluminum, chromium, niobium or alloys or combinations thereof.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetoresistance effect element which has a film with a spin valve structure or an artificial lattice film having good soft magnetic characteristics, and which can be applied to a high-sensitivity magnetic head. The present invention provides a magnetoresistance effect element including a stacked film formed on a substrate by sequentially stacking a ferromagnetic film containing as its main constituents at least one elements selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni, a nonmagnetic film, and the ferromagnetic film, wherein the two ferromagnetic films are not coupled with each other, and the closest packed plane of each ferromagnetic film is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the film surface.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multi-layer coating comprising at least one nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a palladium/nickel alloy layer deposited on the nickel layer, a refractory metal, preferably zirconium, strike layer deposited on the palladium/nickel alloy layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride layer, deposited on the refractory metal strike layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: Metal-matrix composites and methods for producing these composites are provided. The manufacturing methods include providing a ceramic preform having a uniform distribution of ceramic particles sintered to one another. The particles include an average particle size of no greater than about 3 microns, and at least one half of the volume of the preform is occupied by porosity. The preform is then disposed into a mold and contacted by molten metal. The molten metal is then forced into the pores of the preform and permitted to solidify to form a solid metal-matrix composite. This composite is machinable with a high-speed steel (HSS) bit for greater than about 1 minute without excessive wear occurring to the bit. This invention preferably employs metal-matrixes including Al, Li, Be, Pb, He, Au, Sn, Mg, Ti, Cu, and Zn. Preferred ceramics include oxides, borides, nitrides, carbides, carbon, or a mixture thereof. Inert gas pressures of less than about 3,000 psi can be used to easily infiltrate the preforms.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multilayer material useful as an anti-erosion and anti-abrasion coating, and to a process for producing the multilayer material at low temperatures. The multilayer material comprises a substrate covered with at least one metallic tungsten ductile layer and at least one hard layer of a solid solution of an additional element chosen from carbon or nitrogen or a mixture of carbon and nitrogen in tungsten or a tungsten alloy, the two types of layers ar alternating. The multilayer material is particularly useful as a coating for parts used in aeronautics.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetoresistance effect element which has a film with a spin valve structure or an artificial lattice film having good soft magnetic characteristics, and which can be applied to a high-sensitivity magnetic head. The present invention provides a magnetoresistance effect element including a stacked film formed on a substrate by sequentially stacking a ferromagnetic film containing as its main constituents at least one elements selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni, a nonmagnetic film, and the ferromagnetic film, wherein the two ferromagnetic films are not coupled with each other, and the closest packed plane of each ferromagnetic film is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the film surface.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetoresistance effect element which has a film with a spin valve structure or an artificial lattice film having good soft magnetic characteristics, and which can be applied to a high-sensitivity magnetic head. The present invention provides a magnetoresistance effect element including a stacked film formed on a substrate by sequentially stacking a ferromagnetic film containing as its main constituents at least one elements selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni, a nonmagnetic film, and the ferromagnetic film, wherein the two ferromagnetic films are not coupled with each other, and the closest packed plane of each ferromagnetic film is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the film surface.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a semi-bright nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a bright nickel layer deposited on the bright nickel layer, a gold layer deposited on the semi-bright nickel layer, a ruthenium layer deposited on the gold layer, a refractory metal, preferably zirconium, strike layer deposited on the ruthenium layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the refractory metal strike layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: A metallized ceramic substrate having a smooth plating layer comprises a ceramic substrate containing aluminum nitride as a main component; a tungsten- and/or molybdenum-based metallized layer formed on at least one face of the ceramic substrate; and a nickel-based plating layer formed on the metallized layer wherein the plating layer has a thickness of not greater than 2 .mu.m and a surface roughness (Ra) of not greater than 2 .mu.m. Alternatively, the plating layer on the ceramic substrate may comprise a first nickel-based plating layer having a thickness of not greater than 2 .mu.m and a second gold-based plating layer having a thickness of not greater than 1 .mu.m wherein the gold-based plating layer has a surface roughness (Ra) of 2 .mu.m or less.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a tin-nickel alloy layer deposited on the nickel layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the tin-nickel layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: A coated member comprising a substrate, an intermediate layer on the substrate consisting essentially of aluminum and titanium, and a hard coating of (Al, Ti) (N, C) on the intermediate layer. The coated member has an improved wear resistance because the intermediate layer raises the level of adhesion between the substrate and the hard coating.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a tin-nickel alloy layer deposited on the surface of the article, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the tin-nickel layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and wear protection.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a tin-nickel alloy layer deposited on the nickel layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the tin-nickel alloy layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: Methods for cracking hydrocarbons in reactor systems having improved resistances to carburization and coking. The reactor system comprises a steel portion having provided thereon a Group VIB metal protective layer to isolate the steel portion from hydrocarbons, applied to a thickness effective for isolating the steel portion from the hydrocarbon environment. The protective layer is anchored to the steel substrate through an intermediate carbide-rich, bonding layer.

Abstract: A hardfacing for downhole progressing cavity pumps is disclosed as well as a method for producing same. The hardfacing consists of a metal carbide layer applied to the ferrous pump rotor body by way of plasma spraying and a top layer of metallic material having a lower hardness than the metal carbide. The metal carbide layer has a grainy surface with a plurality of peaks and intermediate depressions, the peaks being formed by metal carbide grains at the surface of the metal carbide layer. The thickness of the top layer is adjusted such that the depressions between the peaks of the metal carbide layer are completely filled thereby providing the rotor with a metal carbide hardfacing of significantly reduced surface roughness. In the process of the invention, the pump rotor, which may be provided with a molybdenum bonding layer, is plasma coated with the metal carbide and the resulting carbide layer is covered with the metallic material top layer.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a palladium strike layer deposited on the nickel layer, a palladium/nickel alloy layer deposited on the palladium strike layer, a refractory metal, preferably zirconium, strike layer deposited on the palladium/nickel alloy layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the refractory metal strike layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multi-layer coating comprising at least one nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a palladium/nickel alloy layer deposited on the nickel layer, a refractory metal, preferably zirconium, strike layer deposited on the palladium/nickel alloy layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride layer, deposited on the refractory metal strike layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: The improved sputtered memory disk of the present invention comprises a substrate coated with a nucleating layer, a subsequent magnetic layer, and a protective coating. As a result of texturing in the circumferential direction and epitaxy involving the nucleating layer, an anisotropic orientation of coercivity in the circumferential direction has occurred during the sputtering that provides an improved memory disk having enhanced coercivity, a reduced amplitude modulation, an improved squareness of the hysteresis loop, e.g., lower switching field distribution, and a high production, relatively low cost production system. As a result, a higher recording density due to the higher coercivity and low switching field distribution can be experienced with the magnetic disk of the present invention.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer deposited on the nickel layer, a chrome layer deposited on the nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer, a refractory metal, preferably zirconium, strike layer deposited on the chrome layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the refractory metal strike layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: A ceramic member (52) is direct-bonded to a copper composite substrate by heating to diffuse copper to the surface of the copper composite substrate (56), oxidizing the copper composite substrate following heating, placing a ceramic member in contact with the resulting oxidized substrate, and forming a copper-copper oxide eutectic (54) at the interface between the copper composite substrate and the ceramic member by heating. The eutectic, upon cooling, forms a bond between the copper composite and the ceramic.

Abstract: The present invention provides inexpensive electric contact materials having higher hardness and higher melting point and being more excellent in the points of wear resistance and environmental resistance over the electric contact materials of Ag type, Au type, platinum group type, etc. having been used so far, production methods thereof and electric contacts used said contact materials.In the electric contact materials of the invention, basically, a covering layer having at least one selected from transition metals of groups IVa (Ti, Zr, Hf, etc.), Va (V, Nb, Ta, etc.) and VIa (Cr, Mo, W, etc.) as a major ingredient is formed on the substrate as an electric contact in a thickness of 0.03 to 100 .mu.m, and, if need be, a fixed intermediate layer is formed between said covering layer of electric contact and substrate or a fixed surface layer is formed on the outside of covering layer of electric contact, thus aiming at further improvement in the characteristics of contact.

Abstract: A workpiece is made of a steel body and has a hard material coating thereon. The surface which receives the hard material coating is enriched with at least one of C, N, B, O, S or Si. A transition zone between the enriched surface area and the hard material coating has a non-diminishing content of the at least one element.

Abstract: The adhesion to plastic substrates of thick layers of functional metals having an oxide heat of formation that is greater than -40,000 calories/gram atom of metal, such as silver, copper, gold, and the like, is improved if a thin layer of a metal having an oxide heat of formation of less than -50,000 calories/gram atom of metal is present as an adhesion-promoting primer layer. When the primer layer metal has a melting point greater than 1100.degree. C., it should be present as the metal or as a substoichiometric oxide. When the primer layer metal has a melting point less than 1100.degree. C., it may be present as the metal, as a substoichiometric oxide, or as a full stoichiometric oxide. Processes for preparing these materials using sputter-depositing and reflectors incorporating these materials are also disclosed.

Abstract: In a magneto-optical recording medium having a substrate, a recording layer having at least a rare earth-transition metal alloy film formed on the substrate, and a dielectric layer formed on the recording layer, a depth of penetration in the recording layer for an element derived from the dielectric layer is set to 70.ANG. or less from an interface between the recording layer and the dielectric layer in a depth-directional film structure analysis by an Auger electron spectroscopy. Accordingly, mixing of impurities into the recording layer can be suppressed to thereby lower the value of the required recording magnetic field.

Abstract: A high-pressure phase boron nitride sintered body for cutting tools consists of a high-pressure phase boron nitride and an intermetallic compound containing a titanium carbonitride Ti(C,N) and at least one metal of Al, W, Co and Zr, and is produced by mixing the above components, and then sintering at a temperature of not lower than 1000.degree. C. under a pressure of not less than 2.4 GPa but less than 4 GPa.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a tin-nickel alloy layer deposited on the nickel layer, a refractory metal, preferably zirconium, strike layer deposited on the tin-nickel alloy layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the refractory metal strike layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: A coated wear resistant steel article has a basic carburized low silicon steel article of preselected properties including carbides isotropically exposed and having an elevation greater than material adjacent said carbides of said carburized surface and a coating material having a hardness greater than about 1200 Kg/mm covering the material adjacent said carbides of said carburized surface. In another aspect, the coating material is absent and the surface is modified by ion implantation.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetoresistance effect element which has a film with a spin valve structure or an artificial lattice film having good soft magnetic characteristics, and which can be applied to a high-sensitivity magnetic head. The present invention provides a magnetoresistance effect element including a stacked film formed on a substrate by sequentially stacking a ferromagnetic film containing as its main constituents at least one elements selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni, a nonmagnetic film, and the ferromagnetic film, wherein the two ferromagnetic films are not coupled with each other, and the closest packed plane of each ferromagnetic film is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the film surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multilayer material more particularly intended for producing an anti-erosion and anti-abrasion coating, as well as the process for producing this multilayer material. The aim of the invention is to produce a material which has a greater resistance and which can be deposited at low temperatures. This aim is achieved with the aid of a multilayer material, which is characterized in that it comprises a substrate covered with at least one metallic tungsten ductile layer and at least one hard layer of a solid solution of an additional element chosen from among carbon or nitrogen or a mixture of carbon and nitrogen in tungsten or a tungsten alloy, the two types of layers are alternating. The invention more particularly relates to the production of a coating for parts used in aeronautics.

Abstract: In knitting parts of a knitting machine(a guide, needle tongue and the like of a warp knitting machine), an anti-corrosion layer 12 formed by wet plating, an intermediate layer 14 formed by dry plating and a hard carbon film 16 formed by dry plating are successively laminated on and applied to, at least, a surface of that portion of a carbon steel base material 10 shaped to profile the knitting parts, which portion contacts with knitting yarn, and the anti-corrosion layer 12 formed by wet plating is applied to a surface other than the portion.

Abstract: A method for processing a reinforcing stainless steel wire--aluminum alloy composite structure, includes carbon nitriding the surface of a stainless steel wire and coating the treated stainless steel wire with an aluminum alloy, and a product thereof.

Abstract: A carbonaceous, refractory or metal alloy substrate material coated with a refractory material, the refractory material including at least one of borides, silicides, nitrides, aluminides, carbides, phosphides, oxides, metal alloys, inter-metallic compounds and mixtures of one of titanium, chromium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, silicon, niobium, tantalum, nickel, molybdenum and iron and at least one refractory oxide of rare earth metals. An aluminum production cell including a component made up of a material coated with the coating described above is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composite body in which a ceramic component and a metal component are bonded to one another by internal soldering. The internal soldering is effected with soldering composition in a recess (2) within a component (1) of the one material in which there is arranged a component (3) of the other material which is shaped to fit accurately. The recess (2) is, at at least one end-face opening, surrounded by a chamfer (5) having an angle .phi. smaller than 35.degree. C., while the wetting angle .beta. between the soldering composition and the plane of the component surface in which the recess is located is smaller than 40.degree..

Abstract: A method is described for preparing a refined or reinforced eutectic or hyper-eutectic metal alloy, comprising: melting the eutectic or hyper-eutectic metal alloy, adding particles of non-metallic refractory material to the molten metal matrix, mixing together the molten metal alloy and the particles of refractory material, and casting the resulting mixture under conditions causing precipitation of at least one intermetallic phase from the molten metal matrix during solidification thereof such that the intermetallics formed during solidification wet and engulf said refractory particles. The added particles may be very small and serve only to refine the precipitating intermetallics in the alloy or they may be larger and serve as reinforcing particles in a composite with the alloy. The products obtained are also novel.

Abstract: A sputter-coated glass layer system particularly useful in insulating glass units ("IGs"), which includes a single layer of silver having a thickness of about 115 .ANG. -190 .ANG. located between two layers of nickel or nichrome having a thickness of 7 .ANG. or less, and provided with an undercoat and an overcoat of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 having thicknesses of about 450 .ANG.-600 .ANG. and about 580 .ANG.-800 .ANG. respectively, such that a glass so coated achieves normal emissivity values (E.sub.n 's) of less than about 0.07 and good durability without acquiring a mirror-like and highly purple appearance.

Abstract: A metallic component of a gas-turbine installation is formed of a nickel-based base material and at least two coating layers superimposed on the base material for improving corrosion-resistance thereof. The coating layers include a first layer having a composition and/or thickness for resisting corrosive attack of the nickel-based base material at temperatures of 600.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. (HTCII), and a second coating layer having a composition and/or thickness for resisting corrosive attack of the base material at temperatures of 800.degree. C. to 900.degree. C. (HTCI).

Abstract: A hardfacing for downhole progressing cavity pumps is disclosed as well as a method for producing same. The hardfacing consists of a metal carbide layer applied to the ferrous pump rotor body by way of plasma spraying and a top layer of metallic material having a lower hardness than the metal carbide. The metal carbide layer has a grainy surface with a plurality of peaks and intermediate depressions, the peaks being formed by metal carbide grains at the surface of the metal carbide layer. The thickness of the top layer is adjusted such that the depressions between the peaks of the metal carbide layer are completely filled thereby providing the rotor with a metal carbide hardfacing of significantly reduced surface roughness. In the process of the invention, the pump rotor, which may be provided with a molybdenum bonding layer, is plasma coated with the metal carbide and the resulting carbide layer is covered with the metallic material top layer.

Abstract: The object comprises a glass-metal film (1) with a metal matrix (2) which has solidified in an at least partly glass-like form and which may comprise hard particles (3, 3a) in the form of primary precipitates from the molten mass. The glass-metal film (1) is provided on at least one side (4) with a top layer (5) comprising a hard material which is harder than the glass-metal film (1). The top layer (5) may be formed by a base layer (7) with embedded hard material particles (8), e.g. of diamond or cubic boron nitride, or by a homogeneous hard material, e.g. diamond-like carbon. The result is a surface quality which can be separately influenced by the composition of the alloy of the glass-metal film (1). The object may be formed either as a parting tool or as a structural part with special wear and/or sliding properties.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprising a non-magnetic substrate and a magnetic alloy layer formed on the substrate with a non-magnetic primer layer containing chromium as the main component interposed therebetween, wherein the magnetic alloy layer contains cobalt and nickel as the main components and not more than 8 atomic % of boron and has been formed by sputtering under such a condition that a negative bias voltage is applied to the non-magnetic substrate.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer deposited on the surface of the article, a refractory metal, preferably zirconium, strike layer deposited on the nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the refractory metal strike layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion protection.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer deposited on the surface of the article, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the nickel-tungsten-boron layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and wear protection.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer deposited on the nickel layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the nickel-tungsten-boron layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer deposited on the nickel layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: An article is coated with a multilayer coating comprising a nickel layer deposited on the surface of the article, a nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer deposited on the nickel layer, a refractory metal, preferably zirconium, strike layer deposited on the nickel-tungsten-boron alloy layer, and a refractory metal compound, preferably zirconium nitride, deposited on the refractory metal strike layer. The coating provides the color of polished brass to the article and also provides abrasion and corrosion protection.

Abstract: Layers of zirconium oxide and another ceramic, such as alumina or silicon carbide, are sequentially deposited on a support to form a nanolaminate containing a thin layer of polycrystalline metastable tetragonal zirconia deposited on the support. A process for making a nanolaminate material of the invention is carried out by sputter deposition. Zirconia is deposited on the chosen support by vacuum sputter deposition under conditions effective to form a thin layer of polycrystalline, metastable tetragonal zirconia on the support. A hard ceramic such as alumina is then deposited on the support by vacuum sputter deposition under conditions effective to form a thin layer of hard ceramic superposed on the zirconia layer.

Abstract: A heat and oxidation resistant electrically conductive composite conductor has a core (1) made of copper or a copper alloy, an electrically conductive ceramics layer (2) around the core (1), and a nickel layer (3) on the exterior of the electrically conductive ceramics layer (2). Such a conductor is produced by coating the outer surface of the core copper alloy binder and covering the coated core with a nickel tape under an atmosphere of an inert gas or a reducing gas, welding the seam of the tape, clading the so formed conductor by a cladding die, and drawing the clad conductor. The composite conductor has a high conductivity which is not reduced even when the conductor is exposed to a high temperature operating condition.

Abstract: Deposition of a hard film of Ti-Si-N composite material on a substrate is carried out by using a source of evaporation possessing a composition of Ti.sub.a Si.sub.b (wherein "a" and "b" stand for atomic percentages respectively falling in the ranges of 75 at % .ltoreq.a.ltoreq.85 at % and 15 at %.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.25 at %, providing a+b=100 at %). Deposition is effected by a sputtering process or ion plating process in an atmosphere of an inert gas containing a nitrogen-containing reaction gas while controlling the feed rate of the reaction gas into a chamber in such a manner that the partial pressure of nitrogen is kept constant or varied continuously or stepwise. By this method there can be obtained a film having fine TiN crystalline particles uniformly dispersed in the matrix phase of Ti-Si amorphous metal or a film of functionally gradient structure in which the ratio of fine TiN crystalline particles dispersed in the matrix phase increases continuously or stepwise in the direction of thickness of the film.