Patent ID: 8034459

Claim:
A component comprising a coating, wherein said coating consists of nanocrystals of a transition metal compound embedded in a ceramic, the transition metal compound being selected from the group consisting of metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal silicides and combinations thereof and the chemical composition of said coating has the formula TiSiCN, wherein Ti is present at an atomic percentage of 31.4 to 42.3, Si is present at an atomic percentage of 1.9 to 3.5, C is present at an atomic percentage of 14.5 to 28.6 and N is present at an atomic percentage of 36.5 to 41.3, wherein the atomic percent of Ti, Si, C and N is 100 atomic percent, and said coating exhibits a cubic crystalline structure and wherein said coating exhibits a Vickers Hardness of 2473 to 2931 (HV).