Microtribological properties of B–C–N extremely thin protective films deposited on plasma pretreated magnetic layers

In this paper, we present results of microtribological properties of boron, nitrogen, and carbon (B–C–N) and nitrogen containing carbon (C–N) thin films deposited on CoCrTa magnetic disks. The C–N and B–C–N films of 1- and 3-nm thickness were deposited by complex treatment method, including plasma irradiation and reactive sputter deposition, using hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and graphite (C) semicircular targets. Nanoindentation experiments were performed using atomic force microscope (AFM) with a 143.6°, three-side pyramidal diamond tip at the load of 100–200 μN. The surface morphology of these coatings was examined by AFM. The B–C–N film showed superior hardness and microwear resistance in comparison to the C–N film. The 1-nm B–C–N film showed excellent tribological properties due to a gradated composition and interfaces.