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Title: Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

Patent ·
OSTI ID:870209
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [4]
  1. Orinda, CA
  2. Berkeley, CA
  3. Albany, CA
  4. Morgan Hill, CA
+ Show Author Affiliations

Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00098
Assignee:
International Business Machines, Inc. (New York, NY); Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
Patent Number(s):
US 5476691
OSTI ID:
870209
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (5)

Plasma synthesis of metallic and composite thin films with atomically mixed substrate bonding journal January 1993
Macroparticle‐free thin films produced by an efficient vacuum arc deposition technique journal September 1993
Novel metal ion surface modification technique journal April 1991
Joining of Metal Films to Carbon-Carbon Composite Material by Metal Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation journal January 1993
Low Energy Ion Implantation / Deposition as a Film Synthesis and Bonding Tool journal January 1993

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Related Subjects

surface
treatment
magnetic
recording
heads
modification
plasma
immersion
implantation
deposition
disclosed
method
carried
vacuum
metallic
carbon
cathode
operating
gun
long-pulse
mode
biasing
substrate
holder
pulses
negative
voltage
direct
recoil
combined
modify
near-surface
regions
head
processing
times
modified
atomically
mixed
improves
smoothness
hardness
enhances
tribological
characteristics
conditions
contact-start-stop
continuous
sliding
results
obtained
maintaining
original
tolerances
negative voltage
processing time
substrate holder
surface modification
surface region
magnetic recording
plasma gun
near-surface regions
surface treatment
surface smoothness
surface deposition
surface deposit
near-surface region
recording heads
pulse mode
surface regions
plasma immersion
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