Tribo-chemistry at the head/disk interface

Tribo-chemical studies at the head/disk interface (HDI) were conducted on hydrogenated (CH/sub x/), nitrogenated (CN/sub x/), and cathodic-arc amorphous hard carbon disk samples coated with perfluoropolyether ZDOL and X1P/ZDOL lubricant. The studies involved drag tests with uncoated and carbon-coated Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-TiC sliders and thermal desorption experiments in an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) tribochamber followed with a surface chemistry analysis by X-ray Photo Emission Electron Microscopy (X-PEEM) and Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The friction and catalytic decomposition mechanisms of ZDOL are described, as well as the tribo-chemical performance of cathodic-arc carbon overcoats coated with ZDOL, and data demonstrating the chemical alteration of the lubricant and carbon overcoat are also presented.