ABSTRACT
Surfactants play key roles in the mechanical systems of magnetic recording disk drives. The most notable arena for surfactants is at the slider-disk interface, where the lubricant ensures reliable operation of a nanometer scale recording gap between the slider and the disk. The low surface energy and surface activity of functional end groups on the lubricant hold a monolayer in place for the lifetime of the disk drive. This chapter focuses on the novel development of a low surface energy coating of poly (1H,1H-pentadecauorooctyl methacrylate) uorohydrocarbon surfactant on the magnetic recording slider to improve tribological performance. Application of the lm and methods for lm characterization are detailed. Subambient pressure tribological test results show the ability of this lm to reduce lubricant transfer and disk scratching as good as or better than several other low surface energy coatings.
