Diamond-like carbon for data and beer storage

Carbon is a very versatile element that can crystallize in the forms of diamond or graphite. There are many noncrystalline carbons, known as amorphous carbons. An amorphous carbon with a high fraction of diamond-like (sp3) bonds is named diamond-like carbon (DLC). Unlike diamond, DLC can be deposited at room temperature. Furthermore, its properties can be tuned by changing the sp3 content, the organization of the sp2 sites, and the hydrogen content. This makes DLC ideal for a variety of different applications. We review the use of ultrathin DLC films for ultrahigh-density data storage in magnetic and optical disks and ultralong beer storage in plastic bottles.