A process of treating magnetic recording media and slider bodies

A process for treating a carbon layer of a magnetic recording medium, includes the steps of enclosing a magnetic recording medium within a chamber (36), the medium including a substrate (18), a recording layer (24) of magnetisable material formed over the substrate, and an outer carbon layer (26) over the recording layer. An inert gas plasma at a pressure substantially less than atmospheric pressure is generated and maintained within the chamber (36) for an amount of time substantially to clean exposed surface areas of the carbon layer (26). Following the cleaning, a plasma mixture at a selected pressure substantially less than atmospheric pressure and at a selected temperature is generated and maintained within the chamber (36) for a selected time to fluorinate at least a portion of the carbon layer (26). The plasma mixture consists essentially of a reactive gas and an inert gas, the reactive gas comprising at least 60% by volume of the mixture and being carbon tetrafluoride and/or fluorine. A similar process is applicable to treating an exposed surface of a slider body formed of a ceramic material.