Hard disk drives play a vital role in the Information Age by packing trillions of bytes of digital data in compact recording devices which consist, in part, of magnetic recording layers. An ultra-thin overcoat of microscopically smooth diamond-like carbon thin film is the main defense that protects the magnetic recording film stack from oxidation. To improve the diamond-like carbon film properties for gains in recording density, digital-controlled plasma processing technologies are implemented with a wide range of pulsing frequency and duty ratio of pulsed DC power. A design of experiments study is conducted to optimize time-averaged ion bombardment efficiency as well as surface mobility of adsorbed hydrocarbon gas precursors, achieving 5-10 % improvement in optimal coating thickness. Responsive digital control also enables pre-or post-processing steps being integrated in the same process cycle along with the diamond-like carbon deposition process. Arc detection and suppression electronics and software help ensure process stability and repeatability in high throughput production environment. This paper presents a brief overview of the digital control technologies and the resulting benefits towards improving diamond-like carbon thin film coatings.
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