HARD COATING FILM AND METHOD FOR FORMING THE SAME

Abstract

A hard coating film to be applied to the surface of a tool, which has a composition of (Cr1-a-bAlaSib) (BxCyN1-x-y) with atomic ratios specified below. 0

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing the important part of the sputtering vapor source used in one example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing the important part of the arc vapor source used in one example of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the apparatus for arc ion plating (AIP) used in one example of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hard coating film to be applied to the surface of a tool, which has a composition of (Cr1-a-bAlaSib) (BxCyN1-x-y) with atomic ratios specified below. 0<a≦0.40.05≦b≦0.350.25≦1-a-b≦0.90≦x≦0.150≦y≦0.5

2. A hard coating film to be applied to the surface of a tool, which has a composition of (M1-a-bAlaSib) (BxCyN1-x-y) with atomic ratios specified below. 0.05≦a≦0.50.1<b≦0.350≦x≦0.150≦y≦0.5

3. The hard coating film defined in claim 1, which contains oxygen.

4. The hard coating film defined in claim 2, which contains oxygen.

5. The hard coating film defined in claim 3, which has the moiety of (BxCyN1-x-yOz) with atomic ratios specified below. 0≦x≦0.150≦y≦0.50<z≦0.50.35≦1-x-y-z<1

6. The hard coating film defined in claim 4, which has the moiety of (BxCyN1-x-y-zOz) with atomic ratios specified below. 0≦x≦0.150≦z≦0.50<z≦0.50.35≦1-x-y-z<1

7. The hard coating film defined in claim 1, which is composed of two or more layers differing in composition within the specified range.

8. The hard coating film defined in claim 2, which is composed of two or more layers differing in composition within the specified range.

9. The hard coating film defined in claim 3, which is composed of two or more layers differing in composition within the specified range.

10. The hard coating film defined in claim 4, which is composed of two or more layers differing in composition within the specified range.

11. The hard coating film defined in claim 1 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

12. The hard coating film defined in claim 2 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

13. The hard coating film defined in claim 3 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

14. The hard coating film defined in claim 4 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

15. The hard coating film defined in claim 5 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

16. The hard coating film defined in claim 6 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

17. The hard coating film defined in claim 7 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

18. The hard coating film defined in claim 8 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

19. The hard coating film defined in claim 9 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

20. The hard coating film defined in claim 10 which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being formed from any of nitride, carbide, boride, carbonitride, carboboride, boronitride, and carboboronitride of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si, with their composition differing from that of the hard coating film defined above.

21. The hard coating film defined in claim 1, which has an additional layer on one side or both sides thereof, the additional layer being a metal layer or an alloy layer containing at least one species of metal selected from Groups 4A, 5A, and 6A, Al, and Si.

22. The hard coating film defined in claim 11, which has two or more additional layers.

23. The hard coating film defined in claim 21, which has two or more additional layers.

24. The hard coating film defined in claim 1, which has the crystal structure of rock salt.

25. The hard coating film defined in claim 21, which has the crystal structure of rock salt.

26. The hard coating film defined in claim 22, which has the crystal structure of rock salt.

27. The hard coating film defined in claim 23, which has the crystal structure of rock salt.

28. A method for forming the hard coating film defined in claim 1, the method being an unbalanced magnetron sputtering method or a cathodic arc ion plating method that employs a mechanism to apply a magnetic field.

29. A method for forming the hard coating film defined in claim 21, the method being an unbalanced magnetron sputtering method or a cathodic arc ion plating method that employs a mechanism to apply a magnetic field.

30. The method for forming a hard coating film defined in claim 28, the method comprising generating a line of magnetic force which is approximately normal to the target's evaporating surface and is parallel or extends slightly outward with respect to the perpendicular line of the target's evaporating surface, the magnetic force readily converting the film-forming gas into plasma in the neighborhood of the work being coated.

31. The method for forming a hard coating film defined in claim 29, the method comprising generating a line of magnetic force which is approximately normal to the target's evaporating surface and is parallel or extends slightly outward with respect to the perpendicular line of the target's evaporating surface, the magnetic force readily converting the film-forming gas into plasma in the neighborhood of the work being coated.