Tribology of the helical scan head tape interface

The performance of video helical scanner heads is strongly dependent on head wear and staining. In this study, the tribology of the helical scan head tape interface is investigated and the effect of environmental conditions on wear and transfer film formation is studied. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) are used to evaluate the morphology of deposits formed in the glass and ferrite regions of helical scan heads, and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) are applied for chemical characterization of the head and deposits, respectively. The tendency towards wear and deposit formation is investigated as a function of relative humidity (RH). Finally, lateral force microscopy is used to evaluate differences in friction between contaminated and clean regions of the head using a silicon nitride probe.