Method for making zone-bonded lubricant layer for magnetic hard discs

Abstract

A system and method for improving the durability and reliability of recording media used in hard drives is disclosed. A protective overcoat made by depositing a diamond like carbon (DLC) layer over a magnetic layer and then depleting a portion of the DLC protective layer of hydrogen before it is coated with a Perfluoropolyethers (PFPE) using an in-situ vapor lubrication technique. The portion of the DLC layer which is depleted can be data zone of the media so that the lubricant-bonding ratio is higher for the landing zone than it is for the data zone.

1 . A system for lubricating a disk, comprising: 
 a vacuum chamber for reducing pressure;    a surface modifier for activating a first portion of a surface on a substrate while leaving a second portion of said surface inactivated; and    a lubrication chamber for depositing a lubricant onto said surface of said substrate so that a lubricant-bonding ratio between said first portion of said surface and said lubricant is different than the lubricant-bonding ratio between said second portion of said surface and said lubricant.    
     
     
         2 . A system for lubricating a disk, comprising: 
 a thin film deposition chamber for depositing a first layer;    a surface modifier for activating a first portion of said first layer wherein said modifier includes a masking means for covering all areas of said first layer except said first portion of said layer and a means of generating and accelerating charged ions to the surface of said first layer to activate said first portion of said first layer; and    a lubrication chamber for depositing a lubricant onto said first layer.    
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said lubrication chamber is a vapor lubrication chamber.  
     
     
         4 . A system for in-situ vapor lubrication, comprising: 
 means for exposing a first portion of a first deposited layer to positively charged ions for surface activation of said first portion of said first deposited layer; and    means for depositing in-situ a second layer onto said first layer, after activation of said first portion of said first deposited layer.