Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy characterization of ultra thin diamond-like carbon film on magnetic recording head

The uses of surface sensitive SEM/EDX method to characterize the chemistry of ultra-thin diamond-like carbon films in magnetic recording heads is discussed leading in a novel, high throughput technique to analyses substrate-specific, semi-quantitative silicon nitride/DLC stack composition of protective films widely uses in the magnetic recording head recording manufacturing in hard disk drives industry and at Angstrom scale. In this work, SEM/EDX output result is use as a correlative technique to TEM in order to provide the direct and metrology gauge-capable film thickness using multiple regression models allow the thickness predictions to be made base on film constituents. Moreover, the topography information of substrate/film after wear stress test is correlatively and compositionally described based on elemental and chemical changes detected via the SEM/EDX method without the need for time consume and elaborate cross-sectional workflows. Wear track regions of the substrate reveals the depletion in carbon, as well as Si and N in the most critical wear damage case, also indicating the form of iron oxide. Variation analysis of film composition around industry level thicknesses around industry thicknesses level shown a complex interplay between silicon, nitrogen and oxygen which has been reflected mathematically in the regression model, as well as used to provide meaningful insights into the as-deposited physics of the film.