Richard L. White, Erhard Schreck, et al.
IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
The effect of hydrogen in the carbon overcoat on the CSS durability of thin film media lubricated with perfluoropolyether (PFPE) is reported. A strain-gauge force transducer and optical surface analyzer (OSA) were employed to investigate the failure mechanism. The OSA provided in-situ monitoring of lubricant migration and modification as well as carbon wear. Durability improved with increasing hydrogen content over the range from 12 to 36 at. % of H. The improvement is attributed to changes in lubricant bonding and mobility as a function of hydrogen content. © 1995 IEEE