Patent ID: 7901799

Claim:
A coating comprising at least 2 sublayer systems in which each sublayer system is separated from another by an interlayer, wherein (i) each sublayer system is the same or different and comprises at least 4 layers, (ii) said layers comprise alternating layers of a nitride-containing compound of stoichiometric composition and a nitride-containing compound of nonstoichiometric composition, (iii) each sublayer system has a thickness of greater than about 0.4 microns, and (iv) each interlayer is the same or different and comprises a metal-containing compound selected from titanium, zirconium or titanium aluminum; wherein the thickness of said layer of a nitride-containing compound of nonstoichiometric composition is greater than the thickness of said layer of a nitride-containing compound of stoichiometric composition, and the thickness of said interlayer is greater than the thickness of said layer of a nitride-containing compound of stoichiometric composition.