Comparative corrosion study of binary oxide and nitride overcoats using in-situ fluid-cell AFM

In-situ fluid-cell AFM has been used to investigate the corrosion mechanisms of TaZrO and BCN thin films as protective coatings for magnetic media. This technique allows for real-time, in-situ monitoring of corrosion with nanometer resolution. The technique proved valuable in revealing peculiarities that cannot be detected using conventional techniques. In contrast to the nitride films, the results point to defect-based diffusion type corrosion mechanism in the oxide films.