Extremely thin sputtered coatings of carbon are used to protect the magnetic storage medium on computer disks against damage due to head contact during starts and stops. In this study the mechanisms of wear of these films will be determined and related to their microstructure and to their mechanical and physical properties. The results will be used to validate a generic friction model developed by the author and his co-workers and to determine which film properties provide optimal wear and friction performance, and why.
