Single-crystal – oriented-crystal – and epitaxy growth processes; – Forming from vapor or gaseous state – Fully-sealed or vacuum-maintained chamber
Reexamination Certificate
2011-04-26
2011-04-26
Kunemund, Robert M (Department: 1714)
Single-crystal, oriented-crystal, and epitaxy growth processes;
Forming from vapor or gaseous state
Fully-sealed or vacuum-maintained chamber
C117S089000, C117S094000, C117S096000, C117S108000, C117S929000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07931748
ABSTRACT:
The invention provides systems and methods for the deposition of an improved diamond-like carbon material, particularly for the production of magnetic recording media. The diamond-like carbon material of the present invention is highly tetrahedral, that is, it features a large number of the sp3carbon-carbon bonds which are found within a diamond crystal lattice. The material is also amorphous, providing a combination of short-range order with long-range disorder, and can be deposited as films which are ultrasmooth and continuous at thicknesses substantially lower than known amorphous carbon coating materials. The carbon protective coatings of the present invention will often be hydrogenated. In a preferred method for depositing of these materials, capacitive coupling forms a highly uniform, selectively energized stream of ions from a dense, inductively ionized plasma. Such inductive ionization is enhanced by a relatively slow moving (or “quasi-static”) magnetic field, which promotes resonant ionization and ion beam homogenization.
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Li Eric
Veerasamy Vijayen
Weiler Manfred
Kunemund Robert M
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