| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/L86319/01 |
| Title: |
JREI: NANOMECHANICAL STUDY OF DIAMOND LIKE CARBON ULTRA-THIN FILMS ON MAGNETIC SENSORS........NANOINDENTER |
| Principal Investigator: |
McLaughlin, Professor JA |
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| Department: |
School of Engineering |
| Organisation: |
University of Ulster |
| Scheme: |
JREI |
| Starts: |
14 August 1998 |
Ends: |
13 August 2001 |
Value (£): |
47,000
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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This proposal requests the funding of a nanoindentater integrated with a special atomic force microscope. It is our main objective to use such a technique to successfully characterise ultra thin films (approx. 10nm thick) of diamond like carbon (DLC) used specifically as an overcoat layer to protect and increase the life of magnetic head transducers on a Seagate Technology disc drive. Film properties such as micro-hardness, adhesion elasticity, poisson's ration and wear resistance are all properties that will help understand some of the fundamental growth mechanisms related to PECVD process parameters such as power, gas type, dopant, thickness etc. Currently the most used technique for evaluating the quality and properties of DLC is Raman Spectroscopy. To date this technique has not been well correlated with nanoindentation properties of ultra thin films and this project proposes to develop and gain an understanding of nano mechanical properties that relate to the applied properties of DLC for numerous applications. The aspect of a nano scale evaluation is of direct interest to magnetic hard disc manufacturers (such as Seagate Technology) due to the micro wear characteristics associated with a pick-up head as it flies at a height of less than 50nm over a magnetic hard disc and therefore this scale of evaluation has added importance.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.ulst.ac.uk |