US5366564A
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Hard wear-resistant film and method for production thereof
Assignee: YKK Corp
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Filing: 1993-09-14
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Granted: 1994-11-22
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Expires: 2013-09-14
Abstract
Abstract A hard wear-resistant film is formed on a substrate in an atmosphere of an inert gas by using a target of a composition of Al a Ti b (wherein "a" and "b" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 62 at %≦a≦85 at % and 15 at %≦b≦38 at %, providing a+b=100 at %) or Al c Ta d (wherein "c" and "d" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 60 at %≦c≦80 at % and 20 at %≦d≦40 at %, providing c+d=100 at %) and by a sputtering process or ion plating process while varying continuously or stepwise the feed rate of a nitrogen-containing reaction gas into a chamber. The film consequently formed has a composition and structure thereof continuously or stepwise varied from a substantially amorphous metal of a part being in contact with the substrate to an (Al, Ti)N or (Al, Ta)N crystalline ceramic phase with the nitrogen content continuously or stepwise increased in the direction of the surface of the film.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroshi Yamagata
- 👤 Akihisa Inoue
- 👤 Tsuyoshi Masumoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 12:51
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/06; C23C14/0641; C23C14/0021; C23C14/14; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/902; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/12; Y10T428/12493; Y10T428/12736; Y10T428/12764
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A hard wear-resistant film which has a composition and a structure thereof which is obliquely varied from a substantially amorphous metal of a composition of Al a Ti b (wherein "a" and "b" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 62 at %≦a≦85 at % and 15 at %≦b≦38 at %, providing a+b=100 at %) to an (Al, Ti)N crystalline ceramic phase with a nitrogen content thereof increased in the direction of a surface of the film.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
A hard wear-resistant film which has a composition and a structure thereof which is obliquely varied from a substantially amorphous metal of a composition of Al a Ti b (wherein "a" and "b" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 62 at %≦a≦85 at % and 15 at %≦b≦38 at %, providing a+b=100 at %) to an (Al, Ti)N crystalline ceramic phase with a nitrogen content thereof increased in the direction of a surface of the film.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
A hard wear-resistant film which has a composition and a structure thereof which is obliquely varied from a substantially amorphous metal of a composition of Al c Ta d (wherein "c" and "d" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 60 at %≦c≦80 at % and 20 at %≦d≦40 at %, providing c+d=100 at %) to an (Al, Ta)N crystalline ceramic phase with a nitrogen content thereof increased in the direction of a surface of the film.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
79 words
A hard wear-resistant film which has a composition and a structure thereof which is obliquely varied from a substantially amorphous metal of a composition of Al c Ta d (wherein "c" and "d" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 60 at %≦c≦80 at % and 20 at %≦d≦40 at %, providing c+d=100 at %) to an (Al, Ta)N crystalline ceramic phase with a nitrogen content thereof increased in the direction of a surface of the film.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A hard wear-resistant film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nitrogen content therein is continuously increased in the direction of the surface of the film.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A hard wear-resistant film according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nitrogen content therein is stepwise increased in the direction of the surface of the film.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
138 words
A method for the production of a hard wear-resistant film, comprising the steps of: setting in place a substrate and a material of a composition of Al a Ti b (wherein "a" and "b" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 62 at %≦a≦85 at % and 15 at %≦b≦38 at %, providing a+b=100 at %) as a source of evaporation in a chamber; and effecting deposition of a film on the substrate in an atmosphere of an inert gas containing a nitrogen-containing reaction gas while varying the feed rate of the reaction gas into the chamber thereby giving rise to the film having a composition and a structure thereof obliquely varied from a substantially amorphous phase in a part contacting said substrate to an (Al, Ti)N crystalline ceramic phase forming a surface of said film.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
138 words
A method for the production of a hard wear-resistant film, comprising the steps of: setting in place a substrate and a material of a composition of Al a Ti b (wherein "a" and "b" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 62 at %≦a≦85 at % and 15 at %≦b≦38 at %, providing a+b=100 at %) as a source of evaporation in a chamber; and effecting deposition of a film on the substrate in an atmosphere of an inert gas containing a nitrogen-containing reaction gas while varying the feed rate of the reaction gas into the chamber thereby giving rise to the film having a composition and a structure thereof obliquely varied from a substantially amorphous phase in a part contacting said substrate to an (Al, Ti)N crystalline ceramic phase forming a surface of said film.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
137 words
A method for the production of a hard wear-resistant film, comprising the steps of: setting in place a substrate and a material of a composition Al c Ta d (wherein "c" and "d" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 60 at %≦c≦80 at % and 20 at %≦d≦40 at %, providing c+d=100 at %) as a source of evaporation in a chamber; and effecting deposition of a film on the substrate in an atmosphere of an inert gas containing a nitrogen-containing reaction gas while varying the feed rate of the reaction gas into the chamber thereby giving rise to the film having a composition and a structure thereof obliquely varied from a substantially amorphous phase in a part contacting said substrate to an (Al, Ta)N crystalline ceramic phase forming a surface of said film.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
137 words
A method for the production of a hard wear-resistant film, comprising the steps of: setting in place a substrate and a material of a composition Al c Ta d (wherein "c" and "d" stand for atomic percentages respectively in the ranges of 60 at %≦c≦80 at % and 20 at %≦d≦40 at %, providing c+d=100 at %) as a source of evaporation in a chamber; and effecting deposition of a film on the substrate in an atmosphere of an inert gas containing a nitrogen-containing reaction gas while varying the feed rate of the reaction gas into the chamber thereby giving rise to the film having a composition and a structure thereof obliquely varied from a substantially amorphous phase in a part contacting said substrate to an (Al, Ta)N crystalline ceramic phase forming a surface of said film.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the deposition of said film on the substrate is carried out by a sputtering process.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the deposition of said film on the substrate is carried out by an ion plating process.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the feed rate of the reaction gas into the chamber is varied continuously.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the feed rate of the reaction gas into the chamber is varied stepwise.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said reaction gas is nitrogen gas.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said reaction gas is NH 3 gas.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said feed rate of the reaction gas into the chamber is controlled in such a manner that the nitrogen concentration relative to said inert gas is varied in the range of 0 to 20 vol %.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a total pressure of said inert gas and said reaction gas is in the range of 0.6 to 1.2 Pa.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-11-21 | 1998-05-23 | 1998-11-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-11-21 | 2002-05-23 | 2002-11-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-11-21 | 2006-05-23 | 2006-11-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |