# US 9,040,125 B2 · Covalently bound monolayer for a protective carbon overcoat > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,040,125 B2 - Document ID: US9040125B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/949,314 - Filed: 2013-07-24 - Published: 2013-12-19 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2010-02-23 - Assignees: Seagate Technology LLC - Applicants: Seagate Technology LLC - Inventors: Paul M. Jones; Xiaoping Yan; Lei Li; James Dillon Kiely; Christopher Loren Platt; Michael J. Stirniman; Jiping Yang; Yiao-Tee Hsia - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040125B2 ## CPC - G11B 5/8408: {protecting the magnetic layer} - G11B 5/725: containing a lubricant {, e.g. organic compounds (inorganic carbon protective coating G11B5/727)} - G11B 5/7266: {comprising a lubricant over the inorganic carbon coating} - G11B 5/82: Disk carriers - G11B 5/6011: {Control of flying height} - Y10T 428/266: of base or substrate - Y10T 428/30: Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer - 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) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A magnetic data storage medium may include a substrate, a magnetic recording layer, a protective carbon overcoat, and a monolayer covalently bound to carbon atoms adjacent a surface of the protective carbon overcoat. According to this aspect of the disclosure, the monolayer comprises at least one of hydrogen, fluorine, nitrogen, oxygen, and a fluoro-organic molecule. In some embodiments, a surface of a read and recording head may also include a monolayer covalently bound to carbon atoms of a protective carbon overcoat. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: injecting one or more gasses into an ionization source, wherein the one or more gasses are selected from: hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), or combinations thereof; ionizing the one or more gasses in the ionization source to form ions of the one or more gasses; and depositing a monolayer on a surface of a protective carbon overcoat of a magnetic data storage medium, wherein the monolayer comprises at least one species of the ions of the one or more gasses, and wherein the monolayer is covalently bound to carbon atoms of the protective carbon overcoat. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising injecting a carrier gas into the ionization source. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more gasses may have pressures of milliTorrs. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more gasses may have flow rates between approximately 1 standard cubic centimeter per minute (sccm) and approximately 10 sccm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the ionization source is a radio-frequency inductive plasma source, a radio-frequency capacitive plasma source, a direct current (DC) arc plasma source, a hollow cathode plasma source, a microwave plasma source, or an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the ionization source is an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the ionization source is a microwave plasma source. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the ionization source has a beam current between approximately 10 milliamps (mA) and approximately 100 mA; and the beam voltage may be between approximately 100 electron volts (eV) and approximately 2,000 eV. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the monolayer comprises a thickness between approximately 0.9 Å and approximately 5.0 Å. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising placing a shield between the ionization source and the magnetic data storage medium. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the shield comprises a metal plate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the protective carbon overcoat comprises a (100) plane of carbon atoms. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: injecting one or more gasses into an ionization source, wherein the one or more gasses are selected from: hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), or combinations thereof, and one or more carrier gases; placing a shield between the ionization source and the magnetic data storage medium; ionizing the one or more gasses in the ionization source to form ions of the one or more gasses; and depositing a monolayer on a surface of a protective carbon overcoat of a magnetic data storage medium, wherein the monolayer comprises at least one species of ions of the one or more gasses, and wherein the monolayer is covalently bound to carbon atoms of the protective carbon overcoat. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the ionization source is an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the ionization source is a microwave plasma source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the shield comprises a metal plate. ### Claim 17 A method comprising: injecting one or more gasses into an ionization source, wherein the one or more gasses comprise hydrogen (H)2, and one or more carrier gases; placing a shield between the ionization source and the magnetic data storage medium; ionizing the one or more gasses in the ionization source to form ions of the one or more gasses; and depositing a monolayer on a surface of a protective carbon overcoat of a magnetic data storage medium, wherein the monolayer comprises species of ions of the at least one of the one or more gasses, and wherein the monolayer is covalently bound to carbon atoms of the protective carbon overcoat.