Thermal- and electron-stimulated chemistry of a cyclotriphosphazene lubricant on a magnetic disk with a hard carbon overcoat

The thermal and electron induced decomposition of a bis(4-fluorophenoxy)-tetrakis(3-tri-fluoromethylphenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene(code-named X-1P) lubricant on a magnetic disk are studied by temperature-programmed desorption spectroscopy, electron-stimulated desorption, and Auger electron spectroscopy. X-1P decomposes on the surface with a threshold temperature for dissociation at —570 K, —100 K lower than the thermal decomposition temperature of fluid molecules. Electron impact also damages X-1P molecules. Depending on the electron energies, dissociative ionization and dissociative electron attachment are both likely mechanisms for the electron-induced dissociation. The cross section for the dissociative electron attachment by 3 eV electrons is roughly 9X10-18 cm2 both 8 and 25 eV electrons the cross sections are larger.