Physiochemical Response of Organic Molecules in Head-Disk Interface Under Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording Environment

Abstract

With the recent advances, data storage industries are pushing the limits of recording devices by heating the media with a pulsing laser. Although high-temperature operations may be favorable for the magnetic recording process, it increases the instability of the whole system. Lubricant molecules on the media surface can greatly be affected by this change. Previous experiments have reported signs of unknown substances contaminating the head component during the operation of heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) which hinders the read/write capabilities of the device. In this paper, we have analyzed the nanoscale physical phenomena of several lubricant/organic molecules in the head–disk interface under the harsh conditions of HAMR via molecular dynamics simulation using the united atom model, coarse-grained, bead-spring model, and simple reactive sphere model. Our models simulated extreme temperature, high magnetic field strength, and effects of different media for two different perfluoropolyether molecules. Our preliminary simulation results provided few possible sources of the unknown materials and of those possibilities, evaporation seemed to be dominant.