DIAMOND-COVERED MEMBER AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME.

摘要

A diamond-covered member comprising a laminate of a base material, an acicular diamond layer, an intermediate layer comprising either a metal selected from the group consisting of groups IIIb, IVa, Va and VIa metals of the periodic table or a compound containing the metal and silicon or boron, and a non-acicular diamond layer having a remarkably improved adhesion. This member is produced by forming a diamond layer on the surface of the base material by the vapor-phase method, bringing a gas formed by exciting an oxygen-containing etching gas into contact with the diamond layer to make the diamond acicular, forming an intermediate layer comprising the aforementioned metal and the aforementioned compound on the acicular diamond thus obtained, and bringing a gas formed by exciting a gaseous material containing a carbon source gas into contact with the intermediate layer. The diamond-covered member is useful as a cutting tool or abrasion-resistant member.