AVS 46th International Symposium
    Vacuum Metallurgy Division Tuesday Sessions
       Session VM+MI+AS-TuA

Paper VM+MI+AS-TuA1
Ultra Thin DLC Film as Magnetic Disks Overcoat

Tuesday, October 26, 1999, 2:00 pm, Room 620

Session: Magnetic Recording: Head/Disk Interface and Overcoats
Presenter: X. Chu, MMC Tech.
Authors: X. Chu, MMC Tech.
B. Zhang, MMC Tech.
K.. Johnson, MMC Tech.
Correspondent: Click to Email
Sputtered DLC film of 100 to 200 A has been used for protective coating on thin film magnetic recording disk for years. DLC overcoat material of choice is hydrogen and/or nitrogen doped amorphous carbon deposited by magnetron sputtering. Increasing areal density in magnetic hard drives requires thinner overcoat to reduce signal loss between magnetic film and read head. Functional overcoat with thickness of 50A will be needed for next generation recording medium. Tribological performance of sputtered carbon films suffers at values below 100 A because of a degradation in physical properties. Alternative deposition techniques, such as ion-beam deposition process, create denser and harder films with the improved physical and tribological properties. In this paper we will present data on the deposition and characterization of 50 A to 30 A DLC films deposited both by sputter and IBD process. Process parameter effect on structure and mechanical properties of sputtered CNx, CHx film, and ion beam deposited CHx was studied. XPS and Raman were used to characterize film microstructure and showed the sputtered CNx film was mostly sp2 bonded. Tribology of the films were tested by Contact Start Stop (CSS) testers and the result of carbon wear can be correlated to AFM nano-wear test. 30A ion-beam deposited CHx film showed good CSS tribological performance comparable to 100 A sputtered films.