CHEMICAL-STRUCTURE AND DURABILITY OF A PLASMA-POLYMERIZED PROTECTIVE LAYER FOR THIN-FILM MAGNETIC DISKS

Plasma-polymerized films deposited wing methane, ethane, acetylene, and benzene as a source material, are generally too thick for practical use (1),(2). Using a diphenylethane monomer, a plasma-polymerized film, less than 10 nm thick, and durable enough for commercial applications, was produced. In this paper, the relationship between the chemical structure and the durability of a plasma-polymerized film is discussed. Films were analyzed using Raman, infrared, and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopies. By increasing the sp2 bonding and decreasing the hydrogen concentration in the films, their durability could be increased. Films of less than 1 0 nm in thickness film were more durable than sputtered carbon films of a comparable thickness. The new film also showed promising tribological characteristics for high-performance magnetic disk-drive applications.