AVS 49th International Symposium
    Nanometer Structures Tuesday Sessions
       Session NS+SE+SS+MM-TuM

Paper NS+SE+SS+MM-TuM6
Nanotribology and Related Structural Changes During Wear of Diamond-like Carbon Films

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 10:00 am, Room C-207

Session: Nanotribology
Presenter: J. Goldsmith, Colorado School of Mines
Authors: J. Goldsmith, Colorado School of Mines
E.A. Sutter, Colorado School of Mines
J. Moore, Colorado School of Mines
B Mishra, Colorado School of Mines
M. Crowder, Maxtor Corporation
Correspondent: Click to Email
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films are used for wear and corrosion protection of magnetic disks, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), and tool bits. Magnetic information storage density increases when the read-write head gets closer to the disk. The magnetic layers degrade very quickly without a good protective interface. The use of DLC thin films becomes increasingly popular as they can provide a protective surface due to their excellent tribological properties as low friction and high hardness. In both magnetic disks and MEMS applications, the DLC films are in the thickness range of 2 - 5 nm and in most cases are amorphous in structure. Characterizing the tribological and structural properties and identifying the wear mechanisms of DLC films on the nanoscale is a challenge. Here we present results on the nanotribology of the DLC films performed using both an atomic force microscope and a nanoindenter. We investigate the wear behavior of the DLC films and the role of transfer film. We find that the formation of transfer film plays an important role in providing low-friction. The nanotribological investigations are correlated with the structural changes that occur in the DLC film as well as in the transfer film detected using Raman spectroscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy.