Slider for magnetic recording system
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for tuning seed layer hardness in components of magnetic recording systems are described. One such system includes a substrate including a component of a magnetic recording system, a first deposition source configured to deposit a seed layer material on a portion of a top surface of the substrate at a first angle, and a second deposition source configured to deposit a carbon material including sp3 carbon bonds on the portion of the top surface at a second angle not equal to the first angle, where the first deposition source and the second deposition source deposit the seed layer material and the carbon material, respectively, simultaneously. The component can be a slider or a magnetic medium.
1. A slider for a magnetic recording system, the slider comprising:
an air bearing surface (ABS) comprising a seed layer deposited using a co-deposition process comprising deposition of a seed layer material on the ABS at a first angle and deposition of a carbon material comprising sp3 carbon bonds on the ABS at a second angle not equal to the first angle,
wherein the deposition of the seed layer material and the deposition of the carbon material are performed simultaneously, and
wherein the seed layer comprises a preselected number of the sp3 carbon bonds.
2. The slider of claim 1 , wherein the seed layer material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of TiN, TiC, Si 3 N 4 , Ti X Si 3 N 4 , Cr X Si Y N Z , and combinations thereof, where X, Y, and Z are non-zero positive integers.
3. The slider of claim 1 , wherein a hardness of the seed layer resulting from the deposition of the seed layer material and the carbon material is proportional to an amount of the carbon material deposited.
4. The slider of claim 1 :
wherein the first angle for the seed layer material is measured with respect to the ABS and is in a range from about 35 degrees to about 55 degrees; and
wherein the second angle for the carbon material is measured with respect to the ABS and is in a range from about 75 degrees to about 105 degrees.
5. The slider of claim 1 :
wherein the seed layer material is deposited using a radio frequency (RF) magnetron; and
wherein the carbon material is deposited using a filtered cathodic arc.
6. The slider of claim 1 , wherein an atomic percent of the carbon material is greater than an atomic percent of the seed layer material.