Patent ID: 7713610

Claim:
A sliding member comprising: convex portions having a first hardness formed by directly quenched portions of a surface of a base material which is a sliding surface of the sliding member in a line shape or a dot shape; concave portions having a second hardness which is less than the first hardness formed in indirectly quenched portions adjacent to the directly quenched portions; an irregular surface formed on the sliding surface by the directly quenched portions and the indirectly quenched portions; and portions having a third hardness which is less than the second hardness formed between the sliding surface and the base material in a depth direction of the sliding member, wherein the entire surface of the sliding surface has been quenched as a result of quenching the concave portions, making the entire surface of the sliding surface harder than the base material, and the base material is harder than the portions having the third hardness.