Method for producing recording media having protective overcoats of highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon

A method for producing magnetic recording media, the method comprising:

• forming a magnetic layer over a substrate;
• ionizing a source material by interelectrode vaporization of the source material, the source material comprising a solid carbon cathode, wherein the carbon cathode is heated sufficiently to produce an arc that is distributed over the cathode so as to inhibit ejection of macroparticles while forming a plasma containing ions which comprise carbon;
• and
• energizing the ions to form a stream from the cathode straight toward the substrate so that carbon from the ions is deposited over the magnetic layer, wherein the ions impact with an energy which promotes formation of sp.sup.3 carbon--carbon bonds.

A method for producing magnetic recording media, the method comprising:

• forming a magnetic layer over a substrate;
• ionizing a source material so as to form a plasma containing ions which comprise carbon;
• and
• energizing the ions to form a quasi-neutral stream from the plasma toward the substrate by applying an alternating potential between a coupling electrode and an extraction grid having a smaller surface area than the coupling electrode so that the plasma is self-biasing relative to the extraction grid, wherein the ions are energized so that carbon from the ions is deposited over the magnetic layer, and wherein the ions impact with an energy which promotes formation of sp.sup.3 carbon--carbon bonds.

A method for producing magnetic recording media, the method comprising:

• forming a magnetic layer over a substrate;
• ionizing a source material so as to form a plasma containing ions which comprise carbon, wherein the source material comprises a gas having a substantially coherent dissociation energy spectra;
• and
• energizing the ions to form a stream from the plasma toward the substrate so that carbon from the ions is deposited over the magnetic layer, wherein the ions impact with an energy which promotes formation of sp.sup.3 carbon--carbon bonds.