US-Sweden Planning Visit on Nanostructured Thin Films and Applications to Data Storage Industry

该奖项将部分支持来自宾夕法尼亚州卡耐基梅隆大学的Esteban D. Broitman博士访问瑞典林雪平大学物理与测量技术系薄膜部主任Lars Hultman博士。此次访问的目的是开展纳米结构氮化碳薄膜的实验并提交合作研究建议。拟议的研究计划旨在为支持数据存储行业开发新的防护涂层提供所需的科学基础。林雪平大学愿意分担费用，提供从美国匹兹堡到瑞典林雪平的机票。拟议的研究计划探索了一些必须理解的基本科学问题，以便提出使用纳米结构的富勒烯类氮化碳（fl-CNX）薄膜作为磁盘的涂层。这种新型材料是由Hultman博士的团队发现的，由sp2配位基面组成，这些基面由于五边形的结合而弯曲，并且在sp3杂化的C位点交联，这两者都是由氮的结构结合引起的。基面的方向、曲率半径以及它们之间的交联程度决定了材料的独特结构和力学性能。目前的研究项目是一个大学与工业合作的项目，将对沉积在fl-CNX涂层上的润滑油膜的物理化学性质进行研究。为了了解全氟聚烷基醚（PFPE）润滑剂与氟- cnx表面的结合，将研究氟醚和醇在氟- cnx膜上的吸附。最后，PFPE润滑油本身的表面化学和表面性能将在fl-CNX表面进行研究。拟议项目的影响远远超出了对使用fl-CNX涂层的科学基础理解的发展。拟议的研究将对技术本身产生直接影响，而PI与数据存储行业的联系将使工作成果能够直接传播给数据存储行业的科学家和工程师，他们将把这项技术转移到商业部门。这种大衣的成功开发将有助于美国数据存储行业在竞争激烈的行业中保持其领导地位。

0432493BroitmanThis award will partially support Dr. Esteban D. Broitman (from Carnegie Mellon University, PA) to visit Dr. Lars Hultman, Director of the Thin Film Division, Department of Physics and Measurements Technology at Linkoping University (Sweden). The objective of the visit is to carry out experiments and submit a cooperative research proposal on nanostructured carbon nitride thin films. The proposed research program is intended to provide the scientific underpinning that is needed to support the development of new protective overcoats for the data storage industry. Linkoping University has offered to share the expenses by providing the tickets for the trip from Pittsburgh (USA) to Linkoping (Sweden).The proposed research program explores some of the fundamental scientific issues that must be understood in order to propose the use of nanostructured fullerene-like carbon nitride (fl-CNX) films as overcoats for disks. This new class of material, discovered by Dr. Hultman's group, consists of sp2-coordinated basal planes that are buckled from the incorporation of pentagons and cross-linked at sp3-hybridized C sites, both of which are caused by structural incorporation of nitrogen. The orientation, radius of curvature of the basal planes, and the degree of crosslinking between them defines the unique structure and mechanical properties of the material. The current research program is a university-industry collaboration that will develop the physico-chemical understanding of the properties of lubricant films deposited on fl-CNX overcoats. The adsorption of fluorinated ethers and alcohols with fl-CNX films will be studied in order to understand the bonding of perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPE) lubricants with fl-CNX surfaces. Finally, the surface chemistry and surface properties of PFPE lubricants themselves will be studied on fl-CNX surfaces.The impact of the proposed project extends quite broadly beyond the development of a fundamental understanding of the science underlying use of fl-CNX overcoats. The proposed research will have a direct impact on the technology itself and the PI's connections with the data storage industry will enable the results of the work to be directly disseminated to the scientists and engineers within the data storage industry who will transfer this technology to the commercial sector. The successful development of this overcoat will help the U.S. data storage industry to maintain its leadership position in an extremely competitive sector.