Head Flying Characteristics and Durability of a Magnetic Disk Using Tape/Slurry Texturing

Abstract

In an investigation of tape/slurry texturing for an NiP/Al alloy substrate, it was found that disks textured with alumina slurry showed a better glide performance than those textured with diamond slurry. A carbon protective layer sputtered by uslng argon gas or argon/methane gas also improved the tribological properties of the disks, leading to enhanced durability. Disks textured with alumina slurry and sputtered with a carbon protective layer by using argon/methane gas performed well in both a glide test at a flying height of 0.05 μm and a CSS cycle test with a thin-film head.