Improvements of lubricant performance in hard-disk media by vacuum ultraviolet irradiation

In order to increase the reliability of hard disk media especially for corrosion-resistant property, we have tried lowering the surface energy of a media with high coverage and high bonded ratio of lubricant. In this study for the UV treatment of a media we examined the wavelength of 172 nm that is shorter than that of the low-pressure mercury lamp normally used, which irradiates at wavelengths of 185 nm and 254 nm. We found a drastic improvement in corrosion-resistant property in the case of 172-nm irradiation. In this paper improved corrosion-resistant property and its mechanisms are discussed.