Wear-protected device

Claim 2

A wear-protected device comprising: a substrate to be protected from a physical action thereto, said substrate being made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic film and resin, a hard carbon film formed on said substrate by ion irradiation, said hard carbon film consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen, and a lubricative film, which has a friction coefficient which is less than 0.3 and smaller than that of said hard carbon film, formed on said hard carbon film.

Claim 3

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said lubricative film is made of a substance containing carbon and having a hydrogen component which is smaller than that in said hard carbon film.

Claim 4

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said lubricative film is of a substance containing at least one member selected from a group consisting of inorganic metallic compounds of sulfur, inorganic metallic compounds of selenium, inorganic metallic compounds of tellurium, inorganic compounds of halogen, inorganic compounds of nitrogen or graphite.

Claim 5

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said lubricative film has a thickness of less than 500 Å.

Claim 6

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said lubricative film is of a substance containing at least carbon and hydrogen, component thereof gradually decreasing from a component equal to that of said hard carbon film at the part said lubricative film contacting said hard carbon film to a component of a surface at which said lubricative film receives external physical action.

Claim 7

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said hard carbon film is a carbon film containing diamond granules of sizes of less than 1 μm.

Claim 8

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said substrate has a rough surface with protrusions or recesses of heights or depths of less than 500 Å.

Claim 9

A wear-protected device comprising: a substrate to be protected from a physical action thereto, said substrate being made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic film and resin, a buffer film formed on said substrate, said buffer film comprising at least carbon and hydrogen, the distribution of said hydrogen being sloped in concentration, and a hard carbon film formed on said buffer film by ion irradiation, said hard carbon film consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen.

Claim 10

A wear-protected device comprising: a substrate to be protected from a physical action thereto, said substrate being made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic film and resin, a buffer film formed on said substrate, said buffer film comprising at least carbon and hydrogen, the distribution of said hydrogen being sloped in concentration, and a hard carbon film formed on said buffer film by ion irradiation, said hard carbon film consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen.

Claim 11

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said buffer film is of a substance containing at least carbon and hydrogen, component thereof is smaller than that in said carbon film.

Claim 12

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said hard carbon film has a thickness of less than 500 Å.

Claim 13

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said substrate has a softening point of lower than 200° C.

Claim 14

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said substrate has a thickness of less that 1 mm.

Claim 15

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 8, wherein: the hydrogen in said buffer film increases in concentration towards said hard carbon film.

Claim 16

A wear-protected device in accordance with claim 13, wherein: the hydrogen in said buffer film increases in concentration towards said hard carbon film.

Claim 17

A wear-protected device, comprising: a substrate to be protected from a physical action thereto; a buffer film layer formed on said substrate; a hard carbon film layer formed on said buffer film layer; and a hydrogen-containing lubricative film formed on said hard carbon film; said buffer film layer comprising at least carbon and hydrogen and having a hydrogen concentration which gradually increases towards said hard carbon film; concentration of hydrogen in said lubricative film gradually decreasing from that on an outer surface of said hard carbon film to that on an outer surface of said lubricative film layer.

Claim 18

A wear-protected device, comprising: a substrate to be protected from a physical action thereto; a buffer film layer formed on said substrate; a hard carbon film layer formed on said buffer film layer; and a hydrogen-containing lubricative film formed on said hard carbon film; said buffer film layer comprising at least carbon and hydrogen and having a hydrogen concentration which gradually increases towards said hard carbon film; concentration of hydrogen in said lubricative film gradually decreasing from that on an outer surface of said hard carbon film to that on an outer surface of said lubricative film layer.

Claim 19

A wear-protected device comprising: a substrate to be protected from a physical action thereto, said substrate being made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic film and resin, a buffer film formed on said substrate, said buffer film comprising at least carbon and hydrogen, the distribution of said hydrogen being sloped in concentration, a hard carbon film formed on said buffer film by ion irradiation, said hard carbon film consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen, and a lubricative film, which has a friction coefficient which is less than 0.3 and less than that of said hard carbon film, said lubricative film being formed on said hard carbon film.

Claim 20

A wear-protected device comprising: a substrate to be protected from a physical action thereto, said substrate being made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic film and resin, a buffer film formed on said substrate, said buffer film comprising at least carbon and hydrogen, the distribution of said hydrogen being sloped in concentration, a hard carbon film formed on said buffer film by ion irradiation, said hard carbon film consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen, and a lubricative film, which has a friction coefficient which is less than 0.3 and less than that of said hard carbon film, said lubricative film being formed on said hard carbon film.

Claim 21

A wear-protected structure, comprising: a substrate having a surface which is to be protected from abrasion, said substrate being made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic film and resin; a hard carbon film formed on said surface by ion beam sputtering, said hard carbon film being less than 500 Å in thickness and consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen, said hard carbon film having a diamond structure with a Vickers hardness of more than 3000 Kg/cm 2 ; and a solid state lubricative film formed on an opposite surface of said hard carbon film from said substrate, said lubricative film being less than 500 Å in thickness, having a coefficient of friction on an exposed outer surface thereof which is both less than 0.3 and less than the coefficient of friction of said surface of said hard carbon film; said lubricative film, if containing carbon, containing no more hydrogen by weight percent, than does said hard carbon film; and said lubricative film consisting essentially of at least one constituent selected from the group: graphitic-structure carbon, carbon with up to 50 percent hydrogen, ZrS 2 , VS 2 , MoS 2 , WS 2 , PeS 2 , WSe 2 , MoSe 3 , NbSe 2 , a compound of tellurium, a fluorine compound having the general formula (CF x ) n , CdCl 2 , CdI 2 , BN and mica.

Claim 22

A wear-protected structure, comprising: a substrate having a surface which is to be protected from abrasion, said substrate being made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic film and resin; a hard carbon film formed on said surface by ion beam sputtering, said hard carbon film being less than 500 Å in thickness and consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen, said hard carbon film having a diamond structure with a Vickers hardness of more than 3000 Kg/cm 2 ; and a solid state lubricative film formed on an opposite surface of said hard carbon film from said substrate, said lubricative film being less than 500 Å in thickness, having a coefficient of friction on an exposed outer surface thereof which is both less than 0.3 and less than the coefficient of friction of said surface of said hard carbon film; said lubricative film, if containing carbon, containing no more hydrogen by weight percent, than does said hard carbon film; and said lubricative film consisting essentially of at least one constituent selected from the group: graphitic-structure carbon, carbon with up to 50 percent hydrogen, ZrS 2 , VS 2 , MoS 2 , WS 2 , PeS 2 , WSe 2 , MoSe 3 , NbSe 2 , a compound of tellurium, a fluorine compound having the general formula (CF x ) n , CdCl 2 , CdI 2 , BN and mica.

Claim 23

A wear-protected structure comprising: a substrate having a surface which is to be protected from abrasion, said substrate being made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic film and resin; a buffer layer formed on said surface, said buffer layer being less than 500 Å in thickness and consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen, said carbon having a graphitic structure; said buffer layer containing no more hydrogen, by weight percent, than does said hard carbon film; a hard carbon film formed on said buffer layer by ion beam sputtering, said hard carbon film being less than 500 Å in thickness and consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen, said hard carbon film having a diamond structure with a Vickers hardness or more than 3000 Kg/cm 2 ; and a solid state lubricative film formed on an opposite surface of said hard carbon film from said buffer layer, said lubricative film being less than 500 Å in thickness, having a coefficient of friction on an exposed outer surface thereof which is both less than 0.3 and less than the coefficient of friction of said surface of said hard carbon film; said lubricative film, if containing carbon, containing no more hydrogen, by weight percent, than does said hard carbon film; and said lubricative film consisting essentially of at least one constituent selected from the group: graphitic-structure carbon, carbon with up to 50 percent hydrogen, ZrS 2 , VS 2 , MoS 2 , WS 2 , PeS 2 , WSe 2 , MoSe 3 , NbSe 2 , a compound of tellurium, a fluorine compound having the general formula (CF x ) n , CdCl 2 , CdI 2 , BN and mica.

Claim 24

A wear-protected structure comprising: a substrate having a surface which is to be protected from abrasion, said substrate being made of a material selected from the group consisting of glass, metal, plastic film and resin; a buffer layer formed on said surface, said buffer layer being less than 500 Å in thickness and consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen, said carbon having a graphitic structure; said buffer layer containing no more hydrogen, by weight percent, than does said hard carbon film; a hard carbon film formed on said buffer layer by ion beam sputtering, said hard carbon film being less than 500 Å in thickness and consisting essentially of carbon or carbon and hydrogen, said hard carbon film having a diamond structure with a Vickers hardness or more than 3000 Kg/cm 2 ; and a solid state lubricative film formed on an opposite surface of said hard carbon film from said buffer layer, said lubricative film being less than 500 Å in thickness, having a coefficient of friction on an exposed outer surface thereof which is both less than 0.3 and less than the coefficient of friction of said surface of said hard carbon film; said lubricative film, if containing carbon, containing no more hydrogen, by weight percent, than does said hard carbon film; and said lubricative film consisting essentially of at least one constituent selected from the group: graphitic-structure carbon, carbon with up to 50 percent hydrogen, ZrS 2 , VS 2 , MoS 2 , WS 2 , PeS 2 , WSe 2 , MoSe 3 , NbSe 2 , a compound of tellurium, a fluorine compound having the general formula (CF x ) n , CdCl 2 , CdI 2 , BN and mica.

Claim 25

The wear-protected structure of claim 18, wherein: said lubricative film consists essentially of carbon and hydrogen; and said buffer layer, said hard carbon film and said lubricative film collectively have a profile of hydrogen content which gradually increases through the thickness of said buffer layer towards said hard carbon layer, remains generally constant through the thickness of said hard carbon layer, and gradually decreases through the thickness of said lubricative film away from said hard carbon layer.