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In Situ TEM Scratch Testing of Perpendicular Magnetic Recording Multilayers with a Novel MEMS Tribometer

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Abstract

Utilizing a newly developed two-dimensional (2D) transducer designed for in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) nanotribology, deformation mechanisms of a perpendicular magnetic recording film stack under scratch loading conditions were evaluated. These types of films are widely utilized in storage devices, and loss of data by grain reorientation in the recording layers is of interest. The observed deformation was characterized by a stick–slip mechanism, which was induced by a critical ratio of lateral to normal force regardless of normal force. At low applied normal forces, the diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating and asperities in the recording layer were removed during scratching, while, at higher applied forces, grain reorientation and debonding of the recording layer was observed. As the normal force and displacement were increased, work for stick–slip deformation and contact stress were found to increase based upon an Archard’s Law analysis. These experiments also served as an initial case study demonstrating the capabilities of this new transducer.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge their anonymous collaborators in the hard disc drive industry for providing the samples with which this work was done.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hysitron, Incorporated, Eden Prairie, MN, USA

    Eric D. Hintsala, Douglas D. Stauffer, Yunje Oh & S. A. Syed Asif

Authors
  1. Eric D. Hintsala
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  2. Douglas D. Stauffer
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  3. Yunje Oh
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  4. S. A. Syed Asif
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eric D. Hintsala.

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Hintsala, E.D., Stauffer, D.D., Oh, Y. et al. In Situ TEM Scratch Testing of Perpendicular Magnetic Recording Multilayers with a Novel MEMS Tribometer. JOM 69, 51–56 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-016-2154-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-016-2154-0

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