Head-disk interface design in magnetic data storage

Superior electrical conductivity and thermo-mechanical response of graphene can significantly improve areal density in magnetic data storage. The current head media spacing in hard disk drives (HDD) is 7.2 nm, and replacing conventional carbon overcoat (COC) with graphene will drastically reduce head media spacing, increasing areal density to eight times its present value. A paradigm shift in HDD systems can also be achieved via selection of a combination of new lubricants and unconventional architecture of COC systems. Here, we evaluate the feasibility of graphene overcoat (GOC), by understanding GOC-lubricant interactions. We further introduce new alternative head-disk interface (HDI) designs consisting of buffer/lubricant layers (i.e., graphene/carbon nanotube (CNT) or fullerene/perfluoropolyether (PFPE)). These hybrids could further enhance tribological performance including the reduction of wear and friction while drastically increasing areal density of data storage devices. Our study here will lead to vigorous investigation of HDI in magnetic data storage, including heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), with tuned atomistic design criteria.