IR spectroscopy of polyperfluoroethylene oxide lubricants on amorphous carbon

The FT-IR transmission spectrum of 30 Angstrom of a polyperfluoroethylene oxide lubricant on amorphous carbon is shown to be proportional to the transmission spectrum of a 0.4-μm film, and thus, there appears to be little or no interaction of the lubricant with amorphous carbon. These transmission spectra are dramatically different from the spectrum of the lubricant on a carbon-overcoated thin-film disk recorded at grazing incidence. The alteration of the grazing incidence reflection spectrum is due to polarization changes of the light when a strong absorber is measured near a reflecting surface.