International Business Machines Corporation

Martin Straub

Son Van Nguyen

Cherngye Hwang

Andrew C Ting

Diana Perez

Heinz Hilgers

Gerd Dworschak

Pierre Joeris

The invention is a method of patterning the air bearing surface of a ceramic slider preferably including alumina and titanium carbide. The method includes the steps of forming an etch pattern by depositing and developing a photoresist on the ceramic slider, and reactive ion etching the slider air bearing surface using an etchant gas of argon, sulfur hexafluoride, and methyltrifluoride flowing at a rate which provides a smooth patterned surface on the slider air bearing surface.

Reactive ion etching of alumina/TiC substrates

A process is described for the modification of the outermost atomic layer of a substrate, such as a carbon layer having hydrogen atoms bonded at the surface, in a plasma chamber to covalently bond carbon-flourine groups such as CF.sub.3 groups to carbon atoms in the surface. After establishing a plasma process in which both etching and deposition are ocurring, a fluorinated gas is injected into the chamber to allow CF.sub.3 groups to bond to the surface. The process does not apply of a layer with a defined thickness, but rather conditions the surface for desired properties of high affinity for lubricants and low affinity for contaminants. The invention is particularly useful for heads and disks for use in magnetic recording.

Process of surface modification of magnetic heads by a reactive gas with

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Munich, Georgia

Martin Straub