Protective layer for a magnetic recording medium, and a method of manufacturing the same

1. A method for making a magnetic recording medium, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a magnetic layer on the substrate in a first chamber;

moving the substrate having the magnetic layer formed thereon to a second chamber that is different from the first chamber; and

applying, in the second chamber, filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) deposition to form a tetrahedral amorphous carbon film on the magnetic layer;

moving the substrate that has the magnetic layer with the tetrahedral amorphous carbon film formed thereon to a third chamber that is different from the first and second chambers; and

performing nitridation in the third chamber by treating the tetrahedral amorphous carbon film, formed in the second chamber by the FCVA deposition, with nitrogen atoms, to thereby form a nitridated carbon protective layer that has a nitrogen concentration of 15%˜17% at an outmost surface thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing, after the nitridation, a finishing process that includes forming a lubrication layer on the nitridated film.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying FCVA deposition includes:

providing a poly crystal graphite target made of atom carbon;

vaporizing the atom carbon of the target using an electric arc; and

condensing the vaporized atom carbon on the magnetic layer to form the film.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying FCVA deposition includes adjusting a time of the FCVA application to thereby adjust a thickness of the film.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the third chamber is a filament-type plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) device; and

the performing nitridation includes:

channeling nitrogen gas into the PECVD device; and

generating a plasma field between an anode and a cathode filament of the PECVD device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the nitrogen gas is channeled into the PECVD device at a flow rate of 50 sccm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the second chamber is an FCVA device; and

the method further includes, immediately after the formation of the magnetic layer and before applying the FCVA deposition, transferring the substrate with the magnetic layer formed thereon to the FCVA device under a vacuum condition.

8. A method for forming a protective layer of a magnetic recording medium, the magnetic recording medium having a magnetic layer, the method comprising:

applying, in a chamber, filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) deposition to form a tetrahedral amorphous carbon film on the magnetic layer;

moving the magnetic recording medium of which the magnetic layer has the tetrahedral amorphous carbon film formed thereon to another chamber, which is different from the chamber in which the FCVA deposition is applied; and

performing nitridation in said another chamber by treating the tetrahedral amorphous carbon film, formed by the FCVA deposition, with nitrogen atoms, to thereby form the protective layer that is a nitridated carbon protective layer having a nitrogen concentration of 15%˜17% at an outmost surface thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the applying FCVA deposition includes:

providing a poly crystal graphite target made of atom carbon;

vaporizing the atom carbon of the target using an electric arc; and

condensing the vaporized atom carbon on the magnetic layer to form the film.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein

said another chamber is a filament-type plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) device; and

the performing nitridation includes:

channeling nitrogen gas into the PECVD device; and

generating a plasma field between an anode and a cathode filament of the PECVD device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating the tetrahedral amorphous carbon film includes treating the tetrahedral amorphous carbon film using plasma made of nitrogen gas.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the treating the tetrahedral amorphous carbon film includes treating the tetrahedral amorphous carbon film using plasma made of nitrogen gas.