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Title: Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

Patent ·
OSTI ID:871982

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:
Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
Patent Number(s):
US 5838522
OSTI ID:
871982
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