Methods for characterizing carbon overcoat

摘要

A method for characterizing a carbon overcoat is provided. The method includes performing electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) spectrum imaging for an area of a preselected carbon-based material and an area of the carbon overcoat to generate a reference EELS dataset and a carbon overcoat EELS dataset, respectively, and determining a carbon bonding content of the carbon overcoat based on the reference EELS dataset and the carbon overcoat EELS dataset.

主权项

1. A method for characterizing a carbon overcoat with a thickness of three nanometers or less, comprising:
performing electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) spectrum imaging for an area of a preselected carbon-based material and an area of a carbon overcoat of a magnetic head or a magnetic data storage medium to generate a reference EELS dataset and a carbon overcoat EELS dataset, respectively, wherein the carbon overcoat has a thickness of three nanometers or less, wherein the performing EELS spectrum imaging comprises performing high energy resolution low-loss EELS spectrum imaging and core-loss EELS spectrum imaging for both the area of the preselected carbon-based material and the area of the carbon overcoat; removing plural scattering in both the reference EELS dataset and the carbon overcoat EELS dataset to account for the difference in thickness between the preselected carbon-based material and the carbon overcoat; quantifying a ratio of sp3 bonding to sp2 bonding of the carbon overcoat based on the reference EELS dataset and the carbon overcoat EELS dataset; and extracting a carbon overcoat element profile and a two-dimensional map of the carbon overcoat in the core-loss EELS spectrum from the carbon overcoat EELS dataset.