Method for making a record member with a metallic antifriction overcoat

A method of forming a magnetic recording member comprising the step of:

• forming an antifriction overcoat over a magnetic film for presenting a soft, low friction metallic surface for contacting a head member, said overcoat comprising a plurality of layers, the composition of immediately adjacent layers of said plurality being distinct from one another, each of at least two immediately adjacent layers of said plurality comprising an alloy, the alloy in the first of said two immediately adjacent layers having a first proportion of a selected metal and the alloy in the second of said two immediately adjacent layers having a second proportion of said selected metal, said first proportion differing from said second proportion, said selected metal being palladium, platinum, silver, gold, cadmium, indium, tin or lead, said overcoat being formed so that it has a hardness less than 250 kg/mm.sup.2.

A method of forming a magnetic recording member comprising the step of forming an antifriction overcoat having a hardness less than 250 kg/mm.sup.2 over a magnetic film for presenting a soft, low friction metallic surface for contacting a head member, said overcoat comprising a plurality of N layers where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3, the compositions of immediately adjacent layers of said plurality being distinct from one another, said compositions being controlled by sputtering alternatingly from different targets, each of said targets comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, silver, gold, cadmium, indium, tin and lead.

A method of forming a magnetic recording member comprising the step of:

• forming an antifriction overcoat over a magnetic film for presenting a soft, low friction metallic surface for contacting a head member, said overcoat having a thickness less than 10,000 .ANG. and comprising an alloy of silver and lead, wherein said alloy of silver and lead comprises less than 20% lead by weight.

A method of forming a magnetic recording member comprising the step of chemically vapor depositing an antifriction overcoat having a hardness less than 250 kg/mm.sup.2 over a magnetic film for presenting a soft low friction metallic surface for contacting a head member, said overcoat comprising of plurality of N layers where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3, the compositions of immediately adjacent layers of said plurality being distinct from one another, said compositions being controlled by modulating the gas composition employed in said step of chemically vapor depositing.

A method of forming a magnetic recording member comprising the step of evaporating an antifriction overcoat having a hardness less than 250 kg/mm.sup.2 over a magnetic film for presenting a soft, low friction metallic surface for contacting a head member, said overcoat comprising a plurality of N layers where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3, the compositions of immediately adjacent layers of said plurality being distinct from one another, said compositions being controlled by rotating a shutter above a plurality of sources.

A method of forming a magnetic recording medium comprising the step of:

• forming an antifriction overcoat over a magnetic film for presenting a low friction metallic surface for contacting a head member, said overcoat comprising a plurality of N layers where N is a positive integer greater than 3, the composition of immediately adjacent layers of said plurality being distinct from one another, at least one of said layers comprising an alloy comprising a first metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, silver, gold, cadmium, indium, tin and lead and a second metal selected from the group consisting of antimony, bismuth, thallium and copper, said alloy containing less than 20% total by weight of said second element.