ABSTRACT

The friction and wear behavior of ceramics under lightly-loaded, sliding-contact conditions are discussed in the context of their application to magnetic recording systems. A recording-head, slider material should have low adhesion to the mating material, high hardness and Young's modulus, and a high thermal conductivity among its principal characteristics. Based on the requirements and our current understanding of the tribology of ceramics, potential slider and overcoat materials are identified for further study of a next generation of magnetic recording systems. Potentially attractive slider materials include single-crystal diamond, cubic boron nitride (CBN), and sapphire.