Vapor Phase Lubrication of Magnetic Data Storage Media

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9900647GellmanThis project will explore some of the fundamental scientific issues associated with a new method for lubrication of magnetic data storage media. Currently hard disk media are lubricated with ultra-thin films of perfluoropolyalkylethers (PFPEs) which are applied to the surface by dipping the disk into a solution of the PFPE. As high areal data storage densities are required there is an increasing need for improved and more highly controlled methods of disk surface lubrication. Vapor phase lubrication will apply the lubricant under vacuum in the same environment that is used to deposit the thin film coating used on the disk surface. This represents a clear improvement over current technology but opens up a host of new problems and issues.The surface chemistry of fluoroethers, fluorinated alcohols, and PFPEs will be studied on the surfaces of freshly sputtered, amorphous hydrogenated carbon films (a-CHx) that have never been exposed to air. This emulates the conditions being used in a process being developed at Intevac, Inc., which is collaborating on the project under the GOALI program. The work will determine the nature of bonding of the functional units of PFPEs (ether linkages and hydroxyl endgroups) on fresh a-CHx films. In addition methods will be used to deposit high molecular weight PFPEs under vacuum conditions. The surface chemistry, desorption rates, and decomposition mechanisms of these PFPEs will be compared to those of PFPE films deposited onto partially oxidized a-CHx films such as those currently used to protect hard disk surfaces.***