Abstract: A self-cleaning colloidal slurry and process for finishing a surface of a glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic, metal or alloy substrate for use in a data storage device, for example. The slurry comprises a carrying fluid, colloidal particles, etchant, and a surfactant adsorbed and/or precipitated onto a surface of the colloidal particles and/or substrate. The surfactant has a hydrophobic section that forms a steric hindrance barrier and substantially prevents contaminates, including colloidal particles, from bonding to the substrate surface. The slurry is applied to the surface of the substrate while a pad mechanically rubs the surface. Subsequent cleaning with standard soap solutions removes substantially all remaining contamination from the substrate surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the slurry is used to superfinish a glass disk substrate to a surface roughness of less than 2 ?, with substantially no surface contamination as seen by atomic force microscopy (AFM) after standard soap cleaning steps.

Abstract: A self-cleaning colloidal slurry and process for finishing a surface of a glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic, metal or alloy substrate for use in a data storage device, for example. The slurry comprises a carrying fluid, colloidal particles, etchant, and a surfactant adsorbed and/or precipitated onto a surface of the colloidal particles and/or substrate. The surfactant has a hydrophobic section that forms a steric hindrance barrier and substantially prevents contaminates, including colloidal particles, from bonding to the substrate surface. The slurry is applied to the surface of the substrate while a pad mechanically rubs the surface. Subsequent cleaning with standard soap solutions removes substantially all remaining contamination from the substrate surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the slurry is used to superfinish a glass disk substrate to a surface roughness of less than 2 ?, with substantially no surface contamination as seen by atomic force microscopy (AFM) after standard soap cleaning steps.

Abstract: A plurality of disks include a first disk and a second disk stacked upon the first disk. The first disk and the second disk are each formed from glass or glass-ceramic. A powder is disposed between the first disk and the second disk. The powder is selected from the group including calcium carbonate, calcium magnesium carbonate, calcium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium borate, magnesium oxide, magnesium phosphate, and clay.

Abstract: A method for making a magnetic disk, without chemical mechanical polishing to remove asperities, includes the steps of placing an annular-shaped element in a vacuum chamber, exposing a surface of the element to a beam of gas clusters while it is in the vacuum chamber, and thereafter applying a magnetic coating. The annular-shaped element may be a substrate, or it may be a substrate with a base coating such as glassy carbon or amorphous carbon. The substrate may be made of glass, preferably high quality fusion glass. The surface of the annular element may be textured by forming a sequence of concentric annular valleys, with plateaus being left between the valleys, before the magnetic coating is applied. A semiconductor wafer may also be smoothed by a beam of gas clusters to prepare the wafer for photolithography.

Abstract: A method of adjusting the pH of a strengthening melt to provide an adjusted melt for use in microetching glass substrates, such as glass disk substrates for use in data storage devices. A base is added to the strengthening melt to raise its pH. A desired degree of microetch is provided on an aluminosilicate glass disk substrate, for example, by immersion for 2-4 hours at 360° C. in a melt adjusted to have a pH of 10. This single operation both strengthens and microetches the glass substrate. A slight etching of the surface of a glass substrate, i.e., microetching, improves the performance and durability of a data storage disk made from the substrate. To avoid an overly aggressive etch that can create undesirable damage to the substrate surface, an acid may be added to the melt if the pH is subsequently determined to have shifted to above an upper limit.

Abstract: A method for texturing substrate surfaces and a substrate product, such as for computer disk drives. Microbump textured substrates are produced having a Rp value of about 20-200 Å and a ratio of Rmax:Rp of about 1.4 or less. In an exemplary embodiment, a microbump textured substrate is produced having colloidal particles on a surface thereof at a density of at least about 25 particles per 25 &mgr;m2, wherein the surface topography includes a Rp value of about 20-200 Å, a micro-roughness Rq of about 10 Å or less, and a ratio of Rmax:Rp of about 1.4 or less. An exemplary method includes first providing a substrate surface having a surface micro-roughness Rq of about 10 Å or less and depositing colloidal particles on the surface to provide a Rp value of about 20-200 Å and a ratio of Rmax:Rp of about 1.4 or less. In a further exemplary embodiment, the method increases the micro-roughness Rq, but to a value that is still less than about 10 Å with Rmax:Rp still of about 1.

Abstract: A method of adjusting the pH of a strengthening melt to provide an adjusted melt for use in microetching glass substrates, such as glass disk substrates for use in data storage devices. A base is added to the strengthening melt to raise its pH. A desired degree of microetch is provided on an aluminosilicate glass disk substrate, for example, by immersion for 2-4 hours at 360° C. in a melt adjusted to have a pH of 10. This single operation both strengthens and microetches the glass substrate. A slight etching of the surface of a glass substrate, i.e., microetching, improves the performance and durability of a data storage disk made from the substrate. To avoid an overly aggressive etch that can create undesirable damage to the substrate surface, an acid may be added to the melt if the pH is subsequently determined to have shifted to above an upper limit.

Abstract: A method for making a magnetic disk, without chemical mechanical polishing to remove asperities, includes the steps of placing an annular-shaped element in a vacuum chamber, exposing a surface of the element to a beam of gas clusters while it is in the vacuum chamber, and thereafter applying a magnetic coating. The annular-shaped element may be a substrate, or it may be a substrate with a base coating such as glassy carbon or amorphous carbon. The substrate may be made of glass, preferably high quality fusion glass. The surface of the annular element may be textured by forming a sequence of concentric annular valleys, with plateaus being left between the valleys, before the magnetic coating is applied. A semiconductor wafer may also be smoothed by a beam of gas clusters to prepare the wafer for photolithography.

Abstract: A method for texturing substrate surfaces and a substrate product, such as for computer disk drives. Microbump textured substrates are produced having a Rp value of about 20-200 Å and a ratio of Rmax:Rp of about 1.4 or less. In an exemplary embodiment, a microbump textured substrate is produced having colloidal particles on a surface thereof at a density of at least about 25 particles per 25 &mgr;m2, wherein the surface topography includes a Rp value of about 20-200 Å, a micro-roughness Rq of about 10 Å or less, and a ratio of Rmax:Rp of about 1.4 or less. An exemplary method includes first providing a substrate surface having a surface micro-roughness Rq of about 10 Å or less and depositing colloidal particles on the surface to provide a Rp value of about 20-200 Å and a ratio of Rmax:Rp of about 1.4 or less. In a further exemplary embodiment, the method increases the micro-roughness Rq, but to a value that is still less than about 10 Å with Rmax:Rp still of about 1.

Abstract: A fluid jet cutting method and apparatus for cutting an object from a sheet. In one embodiment, a fluid jet stream is directed against a glass sheet to cut an annular disk substrate for use in a data storage device. The sheet is supported by first, second and third support members. The support surfaces of the second and third support members are respectively positioned inside central openings in the first and second support members. A vacuum pulls the sheet against the support surface of at least the second support member. Preferably, plural central openings in the first support member accommodate plural second and third support members, whereby plural substrates are cut from the sheet. The sheet preferably includes plural layers removably adhered to one another, whereby plural substrates are simultaneously formed by a single fluid jet stream. A protective layer may cover at least one surface to the sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of reclaiming a disk substrate. The cost of reclaiming a disk substrate can be lower, and the quality higher, than making a new one from a blank. A layer of a data storage disk is stripped, e.g., by acid/oxidizing bath immersion. The stripped disk is polished in a carrier between polishing pads, with the relative velocity of the polishing pads as seen by the disk being precisely controlled so that an equal amount of stock is removed from each side. Preferably, several stripped disks are sorted into groups based on disk thickness, and disks from one of the groups are simultaneously polished in the carrier. Sorting improves stock removal uniformity from disk to disk. The polished disks are cleaned and, preferably, ordered in a cassette for stacking in a storage device based on disk thickness to more easily meet a mean center specification.

Abstract: A plurality of disks include a first disk and a second disk stacked upon the first disk. The first disk and the second disk are each formed from glass or glass-ceramic. A powder is disposed between the first disk and the second disk. The powder is selected from the group including calcium carbonate, calcium magnesium carbonate, calcium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium borate, magnesium oxide, magnesium phosphate, and clay.

Abstract: A fluid jet cutting method and apparatus for cutting an object from a sheet. In one embodiment, a fluid jet stream is directed against a glass sheet to cut an annular disk substrate for use in a data storage device. The sheet is supported by first, second and third support members. The support surfaces of the second and third support members are respectively positioned inside central openings in the first and second support members. A vacuum pulls the sheet against the support surface of at least the second support member. Preferably, plural central openings in the first support member accommodate plural second and third support members, whereby plural substrates are cut from the sheet. The sheet preferably includes plural layers removably adhered to one another, whereby plural substrates are simultaneously formed by a single fluid jet stream. A protective layer may cover at least one surface to the sheet.

Abstract: An abrasive fluid jet cutting composition, method and apparatus for cutting an object from a sheet. In one embodiment, a fluid jet stream is directed against a glass sheet to cut a disk substrate for use in a data storage device. An abrasive slurry is delivered to a fluid jet head from a slurry tank. The slurry is formed by mixing water, abrasive particles, a surfactant or surfactants, and an acid or base. The head also receives a pressurized fluid from a fluid pump. The abrasive slurry and the pressurized fluid are mixed in the head to form the fluid jet stream. Preferably, the abrasive particles are 8-64 microns and may include recycled scrap. The slurry may also contain polishing particles that are smaller than the abrasive particles to affect polishing. In addition to reducing surface tension, the surfactant may cause the abrasive particles to flocculate or disperse.

Abstract: A cleaning polish etch composition and process for removing slurry particles which adhere to the surfaces of the substrates (e.g., disk substrates, head wafers, etc.) that are superfinished using a slurry. The cleaning polish etch composition comprises a carrying fluid and etchant for etching the substrate and/or attached slurry particles. The composition is applied to the surface of the substrate while a pad mechanically rubs the surface to etch the substrate under polish conditions thereby maintaining the superfinish surface while removing the superfinish polish slurry debris by etching and dilution. Subsequent cleaning with standard soap solutions removes substantially all contamination from the surface of the substrate. In exemplary embodiments, the cleaning polish etch composition and process produced a glass disk substrate and a Sendust head wafer, each having substantially no surface contamination as seen by atomic force microscope (AFM) after standard soap cleaning steps.

Abstract: A self-cleaning colloidal slurry and process for finishing a surface of a glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic, metal or alloy substrate for use in a data storage device, for example. The slurry comprises a carrying fluid, colloidal particles, etchant, and a surfactant adsorbed and/or precipitated onto a surface of the colloidal particles and/or substrate. The surfactant has a hydrophobic section that forms a steric hindrance barrier and substantially prevents contaminates, including colloidal particles, from bonding to the substrate surface. The slurry is applied to the surface of the substrate while a pad mechanically rubs the surface. Subsequent cleaning with standard soap solutions removes substantially all remaining contamination from the substrate surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the slurry is used to superfinish a glass disk substrate to a surface roughness of less than 2 Å, with substantially no surface contamination as seen by atomic force microscopy (AFM) after standard soap cleaning steps.

Abstract: A disk substrate for a data storage device and a method for fabricating same. A glassy carbon layer is applied over a core. Preferably, the core is a ceramic, glass-ceramic, glass, glass composite, polymer, polymer composite, metal or metal composite having a high specific stiffness and temperature stability. The glassy carbon layer is formed by pyrolyzing a polymer precursor composition applied over the core. The precursor composition may be applied by a low cost technique such as ultrasonic coating, airbrushing and spin coating. The core having the precursor composition applied thereto is heated at a pyrolyzing temperature to form the glassy carbon layer. Preferably, before applying the precursor composition, the core is oxidized and/or etched and/or overcoated with a bonding layer to enhance the adhesion of the glassy carbon layer thereto. Prior to sputtering a recording layer thereon, the glassy carbon layer may be burnished to remove glide defects.

Abstract: A method and product for computer disk drives. Glass substrates are provided having low content of residual polishing particles on the surfaces thereof. An exemplary method includes reduction of residual polishing particle content by immersion of the glass substrate in an acid bath containing nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide and an organic acid having a carboxylic acid group.

Abstract: A method and product for computer disk drives. Glass substrates are provided having low content of residual polishing particles on the surfaces thereof. An exemplary method includes reduction of residual polishing particle content by immersion of the glass substrate in an acid bath containing nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide and an organic acid having a carboxylic acid group.

Abstract: The invention is a method of plating a nonmetallic substrate comprising the steps of depositing an adhesion enhancing film on the substrate, treating the adhesion enhancing film to make the film catalytic, and forming an outer coating and passivating plate on the adhesion enhancing film. The resulting plated, nonmetallic substrates may comprise any number of materials used as an inner substrate such as compounds of oxide, nitride, phosphide, carbide, glass, ceramic, and mixtures thereof. In use, the resulting substrate may find application in any number of data storage and retrieval application.