Visualization of Dewetting of Molecularly Thin Lubricant on Magnetic Disks by Ellipsometric Microscopy

The effect of the surface energy profile and roughness on dewetting of molecularly thin lubricant films on magnetic disks has been investigated by visualizing the dewetting process directly. The growth of the dewetting is determined not only by the well-known instability of films but also by the disjoining pressure and surface topography of a disk even if it has sub-nanometer roughness