FTIR determination of fluorocarbon lubricant film thickness on magnetic disk media

Fluorocarbon lubricants have been used extensively for Winchester-type media to minimize head disk interfacial wear and friction. The film thickness of these lubricants must be carefully controlled. This paper describes a non-destructive and cost-effective technique of measuring the average, relative thickness of lubricating films on rigid magnetic disks by using FTIR spectroscopy. Lubricant film thickness data obtained by FTIR correlated very well with those obtained by ESCA spectroscopy. The effect of surface roughness on lubricant retention during the lubrication process is also demonstrated.