Electric Field Assisted Dip-coating Process of Ultra-thin PFPE Lubricant Film on Magnetic Disks

抄録

The influence of an electric field on the dip-coating process was studied by using the lubricants Z-tetraol, D-4OH, TA-30, and QA-40. The electric field facilitated the adsorption of lubricant molecules onto the disk surface. It also resulted in an increase in the lubricant film thickness. The surface free energy and molecular height of the Z-tetraol lubricant film were not affected by the electric field; however, they decreased in the case of other lubricant films. To elucidate these results, we estimated that the molecular conformation of the lubricants changed due to the electric field and that the OH end-groups aligned to the carbon surface. These results suggest the possibility of resistance to outgas contamination and humidity through electric field assisted dip (EFAD) coating.