Perfluoropolyether Lubricant Films Research Articles

Effect of water on mechano-chemical reactions of perfluoropolyether lubricant films in heat-assisted magnetic recording: A reactive molecular dynamics study

A comprehensive understanding of the decomposition of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) films is crucial for establishing effective lubrication of heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) systems. In this study, to examine the combined influence of heat, mechanical stress, and water, we conducted nonequilibrium reactive molecular dynamics simulations using our ReaxFF force field for the PFPE D-4OH films mixed with water. We thoroughly analyzed the reaction rates, types, pathways, and products, and identified vulnerable bonds. The results demonstrate that water significantly accelerates the reactions of D-4OH, particularly at lower normal pressures. We found that water molecules form clusters and are surrounded by the D-4OH end groups. Consequently, water induces hydrolysis of D-4OH or catalyzes reactions between D-4OH by dissociating C–O bonds in the end groups.

Improvement in Heat Resistance of Perfluoropolyether Lubricant Films on Magnetic Disks by UV Irradiation with a Bias Voltage on the Disk Surface

Our previous study confirmed that the photoelectron-assisted ultraviolet (UV) irradiation with a bias voltage between the magnetic disk and the counter electrode above the disk surface increased the bonded ratio of a perfluoropolyether lubricant film on the disk surface. In this study, two types of lubricant materials (Fomblin Z-tetraol and Moresco ADOH) were prepared and coated on disks. After coating the lubricant films, UV irradiation of the lubricated disk surface was performed using the normal process and the photoelectron-assisted process, and the depletions of these lubricant films were compared using the pin-on-disk test with the laser heating function. The results showed that the lubricant film treated with normal UV irradiation without the bias voltage showed a deeper depletion of the lubricant film than that treated with photoelectron-assisted UV irradiation, and the ADOH film showed a shallower depletion than the Z-tetraol film. However, the molecular weight distributions of the ADOH films on DLC surfaces treated by UV irradiation were compared using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and the film treated with photoelectron-assisted UV irradiation did not change owing to dissociation after photoelectron capture. Photoelectron-assisted UV irradiation led to the decomposition of the cyclo-triphosphazene end groups. Therefore, it is assumed that the depletion of lubricant films treated with photoelectron-assisted UV irradiation was reduced, since the bonding strength to the DLC surface increased because of the greater decomposition of end groups.

Lubricant Dewetting on the Slider’s Air-Bearing Surface in Hard Disk Drives

In current hard disk drives, the minimum air-bearing clearance is of the order of 1 nm during the read/write process. At this ultra-low spacing, lubricant from the disk often transfers to the slider’s air-bearing surface imposing a significant degradation of its performance. It is necessary to make accurate predictions of the lubricant’s response at the head–disk interface in order to engineer reliable hard disk drives. In this article, we perform numerical simulations to investigate the dewetting behavior of some perfluoropolyether lubricant films used in hard disk drives. We model the lubricant flow on the slider surface using a governing equation based on classical lubrication theory. We consider a disjoining pressure that approximates the properties of a ZTMD lubricant and compare the results with those obtained using a purely van der Waals disjoining pressure. We study the spreading of a lubricant film on a slider both at rest and while flying over a spinning disk. The effect of surface tension, air shear stress, and substrate roughness on the dewetting behavior of the film is also investigated.

Reduction in lubricant pickup by bias voltage between slider and disk surfaces

We studied the effect of bias voltage between slider and disk surfaces to reduce lubricant pickup by the slider. A perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant film, which is coated on the disk surface, has been considered to be charged to a negative voltage by the airflow on the rotational disk surface. Because the PFPE lubricant film is negatively charged, the lubricant pickup should be reduced by a bias voltage with a negative voltage on the slider surface. We confirmed changes in the lubricant pickup in a lubricant pickup test conducted at different bias voltages. A positive voltage of the slider accelerated the lubricant pickup, whereas a negative voltage reduced it.

Thermal Behavior of Frictional Properties on Ultra-Thin Perfluoropolyether Lubricant Film

We investigate the thermal behavior of the friction property of ultra-thin perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant film on diamond-like carbon (DLC) overcoats of magnetic disks. We use a newly developed pin-on-disk tester with laser irradiation heating. Results show that the friction coefficient of a lubricated DLC surface with Z-tetraol decreased with increased temperature, while for lubricated disks with Z-03, it gradually decreased at around 120°C and increased over 120°C. This minimal point may indicate the transition temperature. The friction coefficient of both lubricant films on the DLC surface varied with the kinematic viscosity of the lubricant materials, and decreasing the kinematic viscosity decreased the friction coefficient.

Application of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on burnishing slider in cleaning process of magnetic disk surfaces

The feasibility of using vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a burnishing slider in the cleaning process of a magnetic disk surface was studied. Vertically aligned CNTs on SiC flat sliders were grown by the SiC surface decomposition method. Burnishing sliders with different CNT lengths were prepared for friction measurement on magnetic disks and for the burnishing test. Non-lubricated vertically aligned CNTs sliding on non-lubricated magnetic disks resulted in large friction; however, coating the CNTs and the disks with a perfluoropolyether lubricant film dramatically decreased the friction force. In addition, it was found that a specific amount of lubricant was needed on the CNTs to decrease the friction force and that the friction force depended on the CNT length. The particle burnishing test indicated that the 34-nm-long CNT burnishing slider with a rinsed lubricant film showed good burnishing performance.

Tribological characteristics of novel branched perfluoropolyether lubricant films in hard disk drives

In this study, the basic tribological characteristics of novel branched perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant films such as TA-30 and QA-40 were examined. Their surface free energy characteristics and adhesive and friction forces were investigated using an atomic force microscope. The interactions between the lubricant molecules and the water molecules were also examined by monitoring the changes in the contact angle of distilled water on the test lubricant films. The interactive forces such as the adhesive and friction forces of a film that is approximately one monolayer thick were found to be strongly dependent on the conformation of the lubricant molecules on diamond-like carbon thin films. In addition, the TA-30 and QA-40 lubricant molecules appeared to interact with the water molecules more actively than conventional Ztetraol2000 molecules. These results afforded fundamental insight into the tribological performance of novel branched PFPE lubricants in the head-disk interface.

Ultraviolet bonding of perfluoropolyethers to carbon surfaces investigated using quantum chemical methods

For improving the tribological performance of hard disk drives, nanometer-thick perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant films are generally treated with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation to bond them to the carbon overcoats of the disks. By modeling UV irradiation as an electron emission and attachment process, we investigate the UV bonding of nonfunctional PFPE Z and functional PFPE Zdol to hydrogenated and nitrogenated carbon surfaces with quantum chemical methods. Our calculation results show that, upon electron attachment, Z dissociates at its main chain to two fragments terminated by CF2CF2 and CF2O groups, whereas Zdol dissociates to a hydrogen fluoride and a fragment. The perfluoromethoxy oxygen in one of the Z fragments and the carbon radical and the hydrogen-truncated end group in the Zdol fragment interact strongly with sp2 and oxidized sites on carbon surfaces. Imine moieties on the CNx surface also contribute considerably to the UV bonding of Zdol.

Adhesion and Friction Behavior of Magnetic Disks With Ultrathin Perfluoropolyether Lubricant Films Having Different End-Groups Measured Using Pin-on-Disk Test

In this paper, the adhesion and friction forces between a glass pin and disk surfaces coated by lubricants with different numbers of hydroxyl endgroups (Z-03, Z-dol, Z-tetraol, and Z-TMD) were measured using a pin-on-disk microtribotester. The adhesion force decreased in the order of Z-dol, Z-TMD, Z-tetraol, and Z-03. The friction force at the applied load force of 0 mN decreased in the order of Z-TMD, Z-tetraol, Z-dol, and Z-03. These trends could not be obviously explained by the number of hydroxyl endgroups. Next, we investigated the relationship between the adhesion energy and the total surface energy. The adhesion force was roughly proportional to the surface energy, and the friction force was proportional to the friction factor defined by the friction coefficients of the carbon overcoat and the lubricant film, the lubricant film coverage, and the total surface energy. Based on the results, we suggested a friction model of the contact between the pin and disk surfaces.

Friction measurements of nanometer-thick lubricant films using ultra-smooth sliding pins treated with gas cluster ion beam

Friction properties of nanometer-thick lubricant films confined between two ultra-smooth solid surfaces are crucial to the practical performance of technologically advanced mechanical devices such as micro-electro-mechanical systems and hard disk drives. In this work, we applied argon gas cluster ion beam (Ar-GCIB) treatments to obtain ultra-smooth sliding pins for pin-on-disk tests of nanometer-thick perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant films coated on magnetic disk surfaces. The GCIB treatments effectively smoothed the pin surfaces, and increases in the Ar dose decreased surface roughness. An ultra-smooth surface with a maximum peak height (Rp) less the monolayer lubricant film thickness was achieved when the Ar dose was increased to 8×1016ions/cm2. We observed that both surface roughness and film thickness affected the friction coefficients of the PFPE films. To quantitatively describe the interplay of surface roughness and film thickness, we introduced two roughness characteristics: the ratio of film thickness to the surface’s root-mean-square roughness (h/σ), and a surface-pattern parameter (γ), defined as the ratio of correlation lengths in two orthogonal directions. We infer that a fixed γ and higher h/σlead to lower friction coefficients, while a fixed h/σand higher γ induce higher friction coefficients.

Perfluoropolyether Lubricant Interactions With Novel Overcoat via Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics

In this paper, we investigated physiochemical properties of new lubricant candidates for head-disk interface through various perfluoropolyether lubricant films on diamond, diamond-like carbon, and graphene overcoat surfaces via large scale coarse-grained bead-spring molecular dynamics stemming from the atomistic theory. Lubricant film conformations were characterized by investigating perpendicular component of molecular conformation, which determines the thickness of monolayer lubricant film. The distribution of functional endgroups and the mobility were analyzed via self-diffusion process. Here, we illustrate the effects of endgroup structure and carbon-surface structure on the film conformation and the mobility by expanding the multiscale simulation methodology and select candidates for future HDI design.

Adhesion and Friction Properties of Molecularly Thin Perfluoropolyether Liquid Films on Solid Surface

The adhesion and friction properties of molecularly thin perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant films dip-coated on a diamond-like carbon (DLC) overcoat of magnetic disks were studied using a pin-on-disk-type micro-tribotester that we developed. The load and friction forces were simultaneously measured on a rotating disk surface under an increasing/decreasing load cycle and slow sliding conditions. Experiments were performed using two types of PFPE lubricants: Fomblin Z-tetraol2000S with functional end-groups and Fomblin Z-03 without any end-group. The curves of the friction force as a function of the applied load agree with the curves estimated using the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) model. The friction forces on the Z-03 films having different thicknesses were not found to decrease drastically; however, the friction forces on the Z-tetraol film were found to decrease drastically when the film thickness is more than ~1.2 nm. This drastic change in the case of the Z-tetraol film is estimated to be affected by the coverage of the lubricant film.

Dependence of Pin Surface Roughness for Friction Forces of Ultrathin Perfluoropolyether Lubricant Film on Magnetic Disks by Pin-on-Disk Test

We fabricated supersmooth probes for use in pin-on-disk sliding tests by applying gas cluster ion beam irradiation to glass convex lenses. In the fabrication process, various changes were made to the irradiation conditions; these included one-step irradiation of Ar clusters or two-step irradiation of Ar and N2clusters, with or without Ar cluster-assisted tough carbon deposition prior to N2irradiation, and the application of various ion doses onto the surface. We successfully obtained probes with a centerline averaged surface roughness that ranged widely from 1.08 to 4.30 nm. Using these probes, we measured the friction forces exerted on magnetic disks coated with a molecularly thin lubricant film. Perfluoropolyether lubricant films with different numbers of hydroxyl end groups were compared, and our results indicated that the friction force increases as the surface roughness of the pin decreases and that increases as the number of hydroxyl end groups increases.

Lubricant evolution and depletion under laser heating: a molecular dynamics study

Understanding the performance of polymeric perfluoro-lubricants under femtosecond laser irradiation is of great fundamental importance in enhancing the stability and durability of micro- and nano-devices. In this paper, molecular dynamics simulations of perfluoropolyether are carried out to investigate the evolution and depletion of molecularly thin lubricants when subjected to laser heating. Ultrathin perfluoropolyether lubricant films are modeled by the coarse-grained bead-spring model and are coated on an inert substrate. Periodical surface morphology and layered film structure are formed in the equilibrium lubricant system due to the polar interaction of functional beads. It is found that the lubricant undergoes severe depletion with an increase in laser heating duration, resulting in aggravated lubricant evaporation and raised ridges. A temperature gradient is formed in the radial direction due to the heat transfer between the heated beads and the surrounding lubricants. During the cooling process, the strong functional interaction between end-beads and the substrate layer hinders the recovery and redistribution of depleted lubricant beads, resulting in an undersaturated film. The mechanism of lubricant depletion under laser heating is further demonstrated by analyzing the temperature dependence of surface tension. The detailed analyses of lubricant depletion provided in the present work are expected to be guidelines to design novel perfluoropolyether lubricants.

Bonding Mechanism of Perfluoropolyether Lubricant Film with Functional Endgroup on Magnetic Disks by Ultraviolet Irradiation

We studied the bonding mechanism of ultrathin perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant (Fombline Z-tetraol and Moresco D-4OH) films with hydroxyl end groups by measuring the bonding film thickness after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Nonfunctional PFPE lubricants (Z-03 and D2 N) were compared to two types of functional PFPE lubricants. The bonded thickness of both functional lubricants increased after a short period of UV irradiation, whereas that of the nonfunctional lubricants did not increase after the same treatment. This result suggests the occurrence of three kinds of mechanisms. First, Z-tetraol and D-4OH bond because of the photodissociation of the end groups by the UV light. Second, they bond because of the interaction between the end groups and the photoelectron from the carbon surface generated by UV irradiation. Third, they bond because of the photodissociation of the main chain by the UV light. In contrast, the dynamic reaction coordinate calculations suggest that the end groups in the PFPE lubricant dissociate because of the electron capture by the lubricant. As a result, we infer that the bonding of PFPE lubricant films with hydroxyl end groups on magnetic disks occurs by selective dissociation of the end groups because of UV irradiation.

Shear thinning behavior of monolayer liquid lubricant films measured by fiber wobbling method

It is essential to clarify mechanical properties of monolayer lubricant films coated on magnetic disks under shearing motion for designing future hard disk drives with ultra-low flying height. Many of previous researchers reported that strong shear rate dependence of viscoelasticity was one of the typical phenomena observed with molecularly thin liquid films. However, it has not been clarified whether or not perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant films, which are used for the head-disk interface (HDI) lubrication, show shear thinning behavior under actual HDI conditions. In this study, we used the fiber wobbling method that can achieve both highly-sensitive shear force measurement and precise gap control and measured shear rate dependence of viscoelastic properties of monolayer PFPE films coated on the magnetic disk. Our experimental results showed that shear thinning does occur at high shear rate ranged from 102 to 106 s−1.

Spinning Effects on the Spreading Profiles in PFPE Nanofilms

As fly height of slider in head-disk interface (HDI) decreases with increasing areal density, the intermittent contacts between head and disk during operation could occur and cause lubricant depletion in the nanofilm. Therefore, the spreading behavior of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant films is an important consideration in the HDI to maintain long-term reliability of hard disk drives. The spreading behaviors of PFPE monolayer on a spinning disk in operating condition were investigated via optical surface analyzer. A lubricated zone suitable for the study of spreading in a spinning disk was prepared via a special coating technique. <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">L</i> - <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">t</i> plot and convective Cattaneo equation were adopted to analyze the spreading behavior. In case of spinning disk, shear stress by air flow or centrifugal force dominates the spreading characteristics. We developed a mesoscale diffusion equation including convective effects induced by the disk spinning.

The Static and Dynamic Responses of Binary Mixture Perfluoropolyether Lubricant Films— Molecular Structural Effects

Static and dynamic properties of single-component perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricants have been studied for optimal lubricant selection by examining the molecular conformations that influence the thickness and the mobility for the self-healing capability in lubricant nanofilms. In this paper, we examine the physiochemical properties of the mixture of these two PFPEs using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to find an optimal blend ratio to meet the stringent requirements for disk lubricants of ultra-low head media spacing (HMS). A coarse-grained, bead-spring model was used to model the polymer nanoblends using functional and nonfunctional PFPEs. We examined the static and dynamic responses of binary PFPE films as a function of the molecular structures including end-group functionality. The effect of the functional end-group on the static structures was examined by simulating the parallel and perpendicular components of the radius of gyration. The dynamic responses of various PFPE nanoblends were also simulated by explicitly calculating the self-diffusion coefficient of a tagged molecule. Polydispersity effect on nanoblends was also examined.

Direct Observation of PFPE Lubricants on Magnetic Disks

Perfluoropolyether lubricant films on magnetic disks were observed by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) with a fluoride-coated probe. The lubricant films could be observed directly because the adhesion force was decreased by the anti-wetting effect of the fluoride coating on the probes. We compared the molecular conformation of Z-dol (Mw: 2000, 3000, 6000, 8000) with that of Z-tetraol. Thus, we found that the film coverage of a lubricant with high molecular weight exhibited varying (i.e., higher and lower) step heights of the lubricant film boundary. The Z-tetraol film exhibited higher coverage and the higher step height as compared to Z-dol2000. To further study the step height measured by means of atomic force microscopy, we compared the step height with the shoulder height of the spreading profiles of the films. The step heights were almost equal to the shoulder height. We observed the lubricant film after shearing by using contact scanning mode atomic force microscopy. The coverage of the sheared lubricant film increased higher than the initial coverage before shearing. Subsequently, the lubricant molecular conformation was varied due to the shearing, and the coverage was increased.

Quasi-Equilibrium AFM Measurement of Disjoining Pressure in Lubricant Nanofilms II: Effect of Substrate Materials

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to measure the disjoining pressures of perfluoropolyether lubricant films (0.8-4.3 nm of Fomblin Z03) on both silicon wafers and hard drive disks coated with a diamondlike carbon overcoat. Differences in the disjoining pressure between the two systems were expected to be due to variations in the strength of van der Waals interactions. Lifshitz theory calculations suggest that this substrate switch will lead to relatively small changes in disjoining pressure as compared to the more pronounced effects reported due to changes in lubricant chemistry. We demonstrate the sensitivity of our AFM method by distinguishing between these similar systems.