Wear Characteristics of Carbon-Coated Magnetic Rigid Disks With Well-Defined Surface Texture

Wear characteristics are described for carbon-coated magnetic rigid disks with well-defined surface textures. Concentric circular hills with uniform height (ca. 80 nm) are produced on a disk surface using a photo-lithography technique, to control the apparent area of contact with a slider. Wear depth on the order of nanometers of the carbon overcoat is evaluated from the decrease in hill height after a drag test. Wear depth increases proportionally with the increase in average contact pressure, which is calculated from the load and apparent area of contact between the disk and slider. Lubricant diminishes wear of the carbon overcoat approximately 50 percent compared with that of an unlubricated overcoat.