Properties of diamond-like carbon film and its application as a protective layer in thin-film magnetic recording disks

Wear rate of diamond-like carbon (DLC) protective layer deposited by a radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method has been evaluated by continuous sliding tests using spherical sapphire pins. The influence of each property such as microstructure and microhardness on wear durability of the film is discussed. It has been found that the wear durability of the DLC film is several times superior to that of conventional sputtered carbon film.<
>