AVS 45th International Symposium
    Vacuum Metallurgy Division Tuesday Sessions
       Session VM+TF-TuM

Paper VM+TF-TuM7
Deposition and Characterization of Ultra Thin CNx Films as a Thin-Film Disk Overcoat

Tuesday, November 3, 1998, 10:20 am, Room 328

Session: Advances in Hard and Superhard Coatings
Presenter: X. Chu, MMC Technology Inc.
Authors: X. Chu, MMC Technology Inc.
Z.D. Yang, MMC Technology Inc.
J.F. Ying, MMC Technology Inc.
S. Wang, MMC Technology Inc.
B. Zhang, MMC Technology Inc.
Correspondent: Click to Email
The deposition of CNx films has received great attention recently because of the potential of this material to have mechanical properties similar to diamond. One practical application of magnetron sputtered CNx films is for use as a protective coating for thin film magnetic recording disks. Ever increasing magnetic recording density requires not only a robust head-media interface, but also minimum spacing loss due to fly height, carbon thickness and magnetic layer thickness. A functional overcoat with a thickness of 50 to 100 Å is needed for the next generation recording medium. In this paper, we investigate sputtering process parameter effects on CNx film structure and mechanical properties. Target power, N% in the sputter gas, substrate temperature, and substrate bias were varied and correlated to film properties. XPS and Raman spectrum were used to study the bonding structure of the film. Sputtered CHx and CHNx films with 80 Å thicknesses and ion beam deposited CHx films were also studied for comparison. Nano-scratch wear tests showed that the 80Å film had the best wear property with 10-15% N in the gas. CNx films appear to be more wear resistant than CHx and CHNx films based on the nano-scratch test. Tribology properties of lubricated disks were tested using Contact Start Stop (CSS) testers and CNx carbon wear results can be correlated to the AFM nano-wear test. CHx films also showed good CSS results, suggesting that lubricant - carbon interaction is another important factor in head - media tribology.