# US 10,121,506 B1 · Magnetic-recording medium including a carbon overcoat implanted with nitrogen and hydrogen

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- Number: US 10,121,506 B1
- Document ID: US10121506B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 14/982,394
- Filed: 2015-12-29
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-29
- Assignees: WD Media, LLC
- Applicants: WD Media, LLC
- Inventors: Ge Xu; Xiaofeng Yao; Wei Kah Tan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121506B1

## CPC

- G11B 5/727: {Inorganic carbon protective coating, e.g. graphite, diamond like carbon or doped carbon}
- C23C 14/48: Ion implantation
- C23C 14/548: {Controlling the composition}
- H01J 37/32091: {the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma}
- H01J 37/32403: {Treating multiple sides of workpieces, e.g. 3D workpieces}
- H01J 37/32412: {Plasma immersion ion implantation}
- H01J 37/32568: {Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means}
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A magnetic-recording medium includes a hydrogen and nitrogen implanted carbon overcoat (HNICOC) on a magnetic-recording layer. The HNICOC includes nitrogen implanted in a top-surface layer of the HNICOC such that a percentage ratio of a concentration of the implanted nitrogen to a concentration of carbon is between about 30 percent (%) to about 10% within a depth from about 2 Ångstrom (Å) to about 5 Å from the top surface of the HNICOC. An amount of hydrogen implanted in the top-surface layer is between about 1% to about 12% within a distance less than about 5 Å from the top surface. A data storage device that incorporates the magnetic-recording medium within a magnetic-recording disk, and a method for making the magnetic-recording medium are also described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A magnetic-recording medium comprising:
a substrate;
a magnetic-recording layer disposed on the substrate; and
a hydrogen and nitrogen implanted carbon overcoat (HNICOC) disposed on the magnetic-recording layer;
wherein the HNICOC consists of a single layer;
wherein the HNICOC comprises nitrogen implanted in a top-surface area of the HNICOC such that a percentage ratio of a concentration of the implanted nitrogen to a concentration of carbon in the top-surface area of the HNICOC is between about 30 percent (%) to about 10% within a depth from about 2 Ångstrom (Å) to about 5 Å from the top surface of the HNICOC;
wherein the HNICOC comprises an amount of hydrogen implanted in the top-surface area between about 1 atomic % to 12 atomic % within a distance less than about 5 Å from the top-surface of the HNICOC; and
wherein the HNICOC comprises an unimplanted COC area below the top-surface area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 1, wherein the HNICOC comprises nitrogen implanted in the top-surface area of the HNICOC such that the percentage ratio of the concentration of the implanted nitrogen to the concentration of carbon in the top-surface area of the HNICOC varies from about 30% to about 10% within a depth from about 2 Å to about 5 Å, respectively from the top surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 1, wherein the percentage ratio of the concentration of the implanted nitrogen to the concentration of the carbon is not greater than about 10% at a depth of about 10 Å from the top surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 1, wherein the HNICOC comprises an amount of hydrogen implanted in the top-surface area of the HNICOC that is sufficient to inactivate a first fraction of active sites created by the implanted nitrogen.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 1, wherein the HNICOC comprises an amount of hydrogen implanted in the top-surface area of the HNICOC that is sufficient to inhibit contamination from contaminants in a magnetic recording environment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 5, wherein the contaminants are environmental organic contaminants (EOCs).

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 5, wherein the contaminants comprise compounds selected from the group consisting of silanes, silanols, siloxanes, organasilanes, organaosiloxanes, heterosilanes, hetereosiloxanes, organaosilicon compounds and other silicon-containing compounds.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 1, wherein at least the unimplanted COC area comprises a diamond-like carbon (DLC) overcoat.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 1, wherein the HNICOC comprises an effective amount of nitrogen implanted within the top-surface area of the HNICOC extending from the top surface to a depth from about 2 Å to about 5 Å sufficient to bond a layer of lubricant to the HNICOC.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 1, wherein the amount of hydrogen implanted in the top-surface area of the HNICOC inactivates a second fraction of dangling bonds in the top-surface area of the HNICOC created by implantation of the nitrogen.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A magnetic-recording disk including the magnetic-recording medium of claim 1.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A data storage device, comprising:
a magnetic-recording disk including the magnetic-recording medium of claim 1;
a slider operable to fly over the magnetic-recording disk; and
a magnetic-recording head disposed on the slider, wherein the magnetic-recording head includes:
a write element operable to write information to the magnetic-recording disk; and
a read element operable to read information from the magnetic-recording disk.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 12, wherein the data storage device comprises a hard-disk drive (HDD).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The magnetic-recording medium of claim 1, wherein the unimplanted COC area is directly below the top-surface area.