A method for depositing a hard and wear resistant layer onto a tool body of a hard alloy of, for example, cemented carbide, cermet, ceramics, cubic boron nitride based material or high speed steel, includes depositing the layer by highly ionised physical vapour deposition using elemental, composite and/or alloyed source material comprising the elements Me, where Me is one or more of Ti, V, Cr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W, B, Al, and Si, using a process gas o one or more of the elements C, N, O, and S, and applying a first substrate bias potential, Ub1, where −900 V 0.05Dtot, and applying a second substrate bias potential, Ub2, where 150 V