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US 9,805,748 B1Granted
System and method for providing a protective layer having a graded intermediate layer
AssigneeWestern Digital (Fremont), LLC
InventorsYongping Gong, Budi Suswadi, Phuwanai Bunnak, Kah Choong Loo, Krisda Siangchaew
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Abstract
A method of providing an apparatus with a protective layer by simultaneously depositing carbon and seed material on the apparatus to form an intermediate layer, wherein the carbon and seed material have a percentage composition that varies as a function of the intermediate layer thickness; and then providing a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer adjacent to the intermediate layer to produce the protective layer.
Claims13
An apparatus comprising:
- a metal substrate;
- a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer above the metal substrate;
- and
- an intermediate layer having a first interface at the metal substrate and a second interface at the DLC layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a carbon mixture that includes sp3 carbon bonds and a seed material and wherein the percentage of the sp3 carbon bonds and the percentage of the seed material within the carbon mixture varies with respect to the thickness of the intermediate layer,
- wherein the seed material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Ti, TiN, Si3N4, SiNx, TixSi3N4, and combinations thereof, where x is a non-zero positive integer, and
- wherein an atomic percent of the sp3 carbon bonds is greater than an atomic percent of the seed material.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a metal substrate;
- a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer above the metal substrate;
- and
- an intermediate layer having a first interface at the metal substrate and a second interface at the DLC layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a carbon mixture that includes a seed material and wherein the percentage of carbon and the percentage of the seed material within the carbon mixture varies with respect to the thickness of the intermediate layer,
- wherein the seed material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Ti, TiN, Si3N4, SiNx, TixSi3N4, and combinations thereof, where x is a non-zero positive integer,
- wherein the composition of the intermediate layer at the first interface is between 95 atomic percent and 100 atomic percent seed material, and
- wherein the composition of the intermediate layer at the second interface is between 95 atomic percent and 100 atomic percent sp3 carbon bonds.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.