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Characterisation of amorphous carbon coatings for magnetic storage devices via AFM‐Nanoscratching devices. AFM‐Nanoscratching an amorphen Kohlenstoffschichten für die Speichertechnologie
Author(s) -
Jacoby B.,
Wienss A.,
v. Gradowski M.,
Ohr R.,
Petereit B.,
Hilgers H.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
vakuum in forschung und praxis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.213
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1522-2454
pISSN - 0947-076X
DOI - 10.1002/vipr.200300191
Subject(s) - scratch , materials science , nanometre , amorphous solid , diamond like carbon , atomic force microscopy , substrate (aquarium) , thin film , nanotechnology , amorphous carbon , composite material , chemistry , crystallography , oceanography , geology
The mechanical properties of ultra‐thin amorphous carbon films used as protective coatings for magnetic storage devices were investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Diamond‐tipped cantilevers were used in order to generate scratches with residual scratch depths of only a few Angstroms and even below. The presented method simulates mechanical strains at the head‐disk interface. A driftcompensating image subtracting technique allows the visualisation of these ultra‐shallow scratches and enables the mechanical characterisation of only few Nanometer films widely independent from the hardness of the substrate. The scratch resistance as it is defined here correlates well with the mass density and the sp 3 content of the investigated films.