Method of preparing cutting tool substrate materials for deposition of a more adherent diamond coating and products resulting therefrom

• US 5,776,355 A
• Filed: 01/11/1996
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saint Gobain Norton Industrial Ceramics Corp (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Saint Gobain Norton Industrial Ceramics Corp (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain S.A.)
• Inventors: Martin, Scott D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALANKO, ANITA KAREN
• Application Number:
  US08/585,340
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 216/52, 216/65, 216/81, 51/293, 51/307, 427/249, 427/299, 427/307, 427/309
• US Class Current: 216/52
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2226/31 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2228/04 applied by chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2260/072 Grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 27/146 Means to improve the adhesion between the substrate and the coating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0227 by cleaning or etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0263 Irradiation with laser or particle beam
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/27 Diamond only

Abstract

Methods for preparing a cutting tool substrate material for diamond coating include providing a grooved pattern on selected portions of at least the top surface and preferably also the sides of the substrate material. The pattern may be a cross-hatching, a diamond-hatching, or another design. The pattern is preferably applied to the tool substrate by scribing with a laser ablation tool. The pattern is designed to optimize adhesion of CVD diamond on the portions of the tool substrate which are expected to be most challenged during a cutting process. The dimensions of the pattern (e.g. the depth and spacing of scribe lines) are selected to provide the optimum combination of mechanical bonding and diamond nucleation during the CVD coating of the tool substrate. According to preferred aspects of the invention, the pattern is applied only to the portions of the surface not immediately adjacent to the cutting edge of the tool substrate, thereby sparing the geometry of the cutting edge itself. According to a one embodiment of the invention, the pattern includes a cross hatch on the top surface and on the side surfaces of the substrate. According to a another embodiment, the top surface is cross hatched in the center while the corners of the top surface are provided with parallel grooves. In another embodiment, the side surfaces are provided with parallel grooves parallel to the top surface.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a cutting tool substrate material prior to coating the tool substrate material with a diamond coating, said method comprising:

scoring at least a portion of the top surface of the cutting tool substrate material with a first pattern of grooves; and

scoring at least a portion of at least two adjacent side surfaces of the cutting tool substrate material with a second pattern of grooves, said portions of said top and two adjacent side surfaces excluding areas immediately adjacent to a cutting edge of the cutting tool substrate material.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first and second patterns are cross-hatch patterns.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first and second patterns are diamond-hatch patterns.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first pattern of grooves on said portion of said top surface includes a hatched pattern, and said second pattern of grooves on said portion of said side surfaces is a pattern of parallel lines, parallel to said top surface.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first pattern of grooves on said portion of said top surface includes a central hatched pattern and non-hatched parallel line patterns at corners of said top surface.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein:

said non-hatched parallel line patterns are oriented at an angle relative to at least one edge of said top surface.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

honing the cutting tool substrate material.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

chemically etching the cutting tool substrate material.

9. A method for preparing a cutting tool substrate material prior to coating the tool substrate material with a diamond coating, the cutting tool substrate having a top surface, at least three side surfaces, and at least three edges formed by the intersection of the side surfaces with the top surface, said method comprising:

scoring at least a portion of the top surface of the cutting tool substrate material with a first pattern of grooves, at least some of the grooves in said first pattern of grooves being oriented at an acute angle relative to at least one of the edges.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein:

at least some of the grooves in said first pattern of grooves are oriented at an acute angle to all of the edges.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

scoring at least a portion of two adjacent side surfaces of the cutting tool substrate material with a second pattern of grooves.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein:

said second pattern of grooves includes grooves parallel to the top surface.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein:

said first pattern of grooves on said portion of said top surface includes a central hatched pattern and non-hatched parallel line patterns at corners of said top surface.

14. A method for preparing a cutting tool substrate material prior to coating the tool substrate material with a diamond coating, the cutting tool substrate having a top surface, at least two side surfaces, at least two top edges formed by the intersection of the side surfaces with the top surface, and at least one side edge formed by the intersection of side surfaces with each other, said method comprising:

scoring a portion of the top surface of the cutting tool substrate material with a first pattern of grooves, said portion of the top surface excluding areas immediately adjacent to at least one of the top edges.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein:

said portion of the top surface excludes areas immediately adjacent to at least two of the top edges.

16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

scoring a portion of at least one side surface of the cutting tool substrate material with a second pattern of grooves, said portion of the at least one side surface excluding areas immediately adjacent to at least one of the side edges.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein:

said first pattern of grooves on said portion of said top surface includes a central hatched pattern and non-hatched parallel line patterns at corners of said top surface.

18. A diamond coated cutting tool, comprising:

a) a substrate having a top surface, at least two adjacent side surfaces, at least two top edges formed by the intersection of respective side surfaces with said top surface, and at least one cutting edge, said substrate having a first pattern of grooves on at least a portion of said top surface and a second pattern of grooves on at least a portion of said at least two adjacent side surfaces, said portion of said top surface and said portion of said at least two adjacent side surfaces excluding areas immediately adjacent to said cutting edge; and

b) a layer or diamond deposited on said substrate.

19. A diamond coated cutting tool according to claim 18, wherein:

said first and second patterns are one of a cross-hatch or diamond-hatch pattern.

20. A diamond coated cutting tool according to claim 18, wherein:

said first pattern is one of a cross-hatch or diamond-hatch pattern, and said second pattern of grooves includes grooves which are substantially parallel to said top surface.

21. A diamond coated cutting tool according to claim 18, wherein:

said first pattern of grooves includes grooves oriented at an acute angle to at least one of said top edges.

22. A diamond coated cutting tool according to claim 18, wherein:

said first pattern of grooves on said portion of said top surface includes a central hatched pattern and non-hatched parallel line patterns at corners of said top surface.

23. A diamond coated cutting tool, comprising:

a) a substrate having a top surface, at least two adjacent side surfaces, at least two top edges formed by the intersection of respective side surfaces with said top surface, and at least one cutting edge, said substrate having a first pattern of grooves on at least a portion of said top surface, said first pattern of grooves including grooves oriented at an acute angle to at least one of said top edges; and

b) a layer or diamond deposited on said substrate.

24. A diamond coated cutting tool according to claim 23, wherein:

said portion of said top surface excludes areas immediately adjacent to said cutting edge.

25. A diamond coated cutting tool according to claim 23, wherein:

said first pattern of grooves on said portion of said top surface includes a central hatched pattern and non-hatched parallel line patterns at corners of said top surface.

26. A diamond coated cutting tool, comprising:

a) a substrate having a top surface, at least two adjacent side surfaces, at least two top edges formed by the intersection of respective side surfaces with said top surface, and at least one cutting edge, said substrate having a first pattern of grooves on a portion of said top surface, said portion of said top surface excluding areas immediately adjacent to said cutting edge; and

b) a layer or diamond deposited on said substrate.

27. A diamond coated cutting tool according to claim 26, wherein:

said first pattern of grooves on said portion of said top surface includes a central hatched pattern and non-hatched parallel line patterns at corners of said top surface.