Bonding and mechanical properties of ultrathin diamond-like carbon films

Ultrathin 2-nm-thick carbon coatings are needed to increase the storage density in magnetic hard disks. We show how x-ray reflectivity, surface Brillouin scattering, resonant Raman scattering, and electron energy loss spectroscopy can measure consistently the structural and mechanical properties of these thin films. 2 nm films retain a Young’s modulus of 100 GPa.