ETCHING TECHNIQUE FOR DETERMINING DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON COATING WEAR ONTHE TRAILING-EDGE OF PSEUDO CONTACT THIN-FILM SLIDERS

A technique for evaluating the wear of Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coati ng on the alumina encapsulation portion of coated pseudo contact thin film inductive sliders is presented. The tested parts were subjected t o a chemical etch and were examined via Scanning Electron Microscope ( SEM) techniques. Film voids and wear over the trailing edge were clear ly revealed. Data regarding prime coated, prime uncoated heads and hea ds that have experienced CSS and sweeping actuation tests are presente d. Prime sliders coated with approximately 150 Angstrom of DLC were sh own to contain small amounts of porosity and scratches, while heads wi thout coating were uniformly etched. The amount of DLC wear on both CS S and sweeping heads was inconsistent and varied from near complete re moval to slightly increased scratches. Inconsistency in wear is attrib uted to the variability among the heads' flying characteristics.