Method of forming a wear resistant component

1. A method of forming a wear resistant component comprising:

providing a base material;

depositing a strengthening layer on the base material; and

vapor depositing an amorphous diamond layer on the strengthening layer, the amorphous diamond layer having sp 3 bonding of at least about 40%, a hardness of at least about 45 GPa, and an elastic modulus of at least about 400 GPa.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of depositing a strengthening layer comprises depositing a plurality of superlattice layers.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of depositing a strengthening layer comprises alternately depositing a first chemical compound and then a second chemical compound.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the first chemical compound comprises a carbon nitride and the second chemical component comprises a metal nitride.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 further including the step of a co-depositing a graphitic phase with the amorphous diamond layer.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the amorphous diamond layer has a thickness less than about 10 microns.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the strengthening layer comprises at least one layer of chromium nitride.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the base material comprises a metal.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, aluminum, brass, titanium and zirconium.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the strengthening layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of an oxide layer, a carbide layer, a carbo-nitride layer and a nitride layer.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the thickness of said strengthening layer is about 500 nm to 6 microns.

12. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the amorphous diamond layer has a average surface roughness not substantially more than said strengthening layer.

13. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising forming two of the wear resistant components to construct a valve component whereby each of the two components form a sealing surface to each other.

14. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of depositing a strengthening layer comprises at least one of forming a plasma-nitrided layer and forming an ion implanted layer.

15. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the base material is selected from the group consisting of a glass, a cermet, a glass containing material, a polymeric material and a composite material.

16. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of depositing a strengthening layer comprises oxidizing a surface layer of the base material.

17. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the amorphous diamond layer includes a plurality of ultra thin layers of different phases of diamond, at least one of which is amorphous diamond.

18. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the amorphous diamond includes a dopant of at least one of nitrogen and a metal.

19. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising depositing a transition layer between the strengthening layer and the amorphous diamond layer.

20. The method as defined in claim 19 wherein the transition layer comprises at least one of a carbo-nitride and a carbide.

21. The method as defined in claim 20 wherein the transition layer is formed by the step of introducing a carbon containing gas.

22. The method as defined in claim 1 further including the step of turning off any reactive gas at the end of depositing the strengthening layer, thereby forming a thin metal layer between the strengthening layer and the amorphous layer.

23. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of depositing the amorphous layer includes filtered arc deposition of the amorphous layer and introducing a methane gas during the filtered arc deposition of the amorphous layer.

24. A method of producing a valve plate comprising:

providing a strengthening layer on a substrate; and

providing amorphous diamond on the strengthening layer;

wherein the amorphous diamond has sp 3 bonding of at least about 40%, a hardness substantially greater than that of diamond-like carbon, and an elastic modulus of at least about 400 GPa.

25. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the amorphous diamond amorphous diamond has a hardness substantially greater than the strengthening layer.

26. The method as defined in claim 25 wherein the amorphous diamond has a hardness of at least about 45 GPa.

27. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the amorphous diamond has a friction coefficient substantially lower than that of diamond-like carbon.

28. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the step of providing amorphous diamond comprises depositing amorphous diamond at a temperature below approximately 250° C.

29. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the step of providing a layer of amorphous diamond comprises vapor depositing the layer of amorphous diamond.

30. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a sintered ceramic and a metal.

31. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the strengthening layer has a hardness greater than that of the substrate.

32. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the strengthening layer comprises chromium nitride.

33. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the strengthening layer comprises diamond-like carbon.

34. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the thickness of the strengthening layer is between approximately 2000 nm and 5000 nm.

35. The method as defined in claim 24 further comprising providing an adhesion-promoting layer between the substrate and the strengthening layer.

36. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the amorphous diamond includes a dopant of at least one of nitrogen and a metal.

37. The method as defined in claim 24 further comprising depositing a transition layer between the strengthening layer and the amorphous diamond layer.

38. The method as defined in claim 37 wherein the transition layer comprises at least one of a carbo-nitride and a carbide.

39. The method as defined in claim 38 wherein the transition layer is formed by the step of introducing a carbon containing gas.

40. The method as defined in claim 24 further comprising turning off any reactive gas at the end of depositing the strengthening layer, thereby forming a thin metal layer between the strengthening layer and the amorphous layer.

41. The method as defined in claim 24 wherein the step of depositing the amorphous layer includes filtered arc deposition of the amorphous layer and introducing a methane gas during the filtered arc deposition of the amorphous layer.

42. A method of forming a valve plate for a fluid control valve comprising:

providing a substrate for a valve plate of a fluid control valve;

depositing a strengthening layer on the substrate; and

utilizing a filtered arc deposition process to deposit an amorphous diamond layer on the strengthening layer at a temperature below approximately 250° C.;

wherein the amorphous diamond layer has sp 3 bonding of at least about 40%, a hardness of at least about 45 GPa, and an elastic modulus of at least about 400 GPa.

43. The method as defined in claim 42 wherein the strengthening layer comprises a plurality of superlattice layers.

44. The method as defined in claim 42 wherein the strengthening layer comprises chromium nitride.

45. The method as defined in claim 42 wherein the strengthening layer has a hardness greater than the substrate.

46. The method as defined in claim 42 further comprising providing a transition layer between the strengthening layer and the amorphous diamond layer, the transition layer comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of a carbo-nitride material and a carbide material.

47. A method of forming a valve plate for a fluid control valve comprising:

providing a substrate to be utilized as a valve plate in a fluid control valve;

depositing a strengthening layer on the base material that is harder than the substrate at a thickness sufficient to increase the scratch resistance of the valve plate; and

vapor depositing an amorphous diamond material on the strengthening layer to a thickness of at least 100 nm, the amorphous diamond material having sp 3 bonding of at least about 40%, a hardness of at least about 45 GPa, an elastic modulus of at least about 400 GPa, and a coefficient of friction that is lower than that of diamond-like carbon,

wherein the amorphous diamond material is deposited at a lower temperature than is required for the deposition of polycrystalline diamond.

48. The method as defined in claim 47 wherein the amorphous diamond material is provided at a thickness of greater than 300 nm.

49. The method as defined in claim 47 wherein the amorphous diamond material is deposited at a temperature below approximately 250° C.

50. The method as defined in claim 47 further comprising providing a transition layer between the strengthening layer and the amorphous diamond material, the transition layer comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of a carbo-nitride material and a carbide material.

51. A method of forming a component for use in a faucet comprising:

providing a valve plate comprising a base material;

depositing a strengthening layer on the base material, the strengthening layer having a hardness that is greater than that of the substrate; and

providing an amorphous diamond material on the strengthening layer, the amorphous diamond material consisting essentially of carbon and having a coefficient of friction that is lower than that of diamond-like carbon and a hardness that is higher than that of diamond-like carbon.

52. The method as defined in claim 51 wherein the amorphous diamond material has sp 3 bonding of at least about 40%, a hardness of at least about 45 GPa, and an elastic modulus of at least about 400 GPa.

53. The method as defined in claim 51 wherein the step of providing an amorphous diamond material comprises co-depositing a graphitic phase with the amorphous diamond layer.

54. The method as defined in claim 51 wherein the strengthening layer comprises at least one layer of chromium nitride.