Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Wd Media, LLC

Ge Xu

Wei Guo

Xiaofeng Yao

Wei Kah Tan

Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed to provide a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium that includes a sacrificial layer and corresponding etching processes to minimize head to media spacing. The medium may include the sacrificial layer and a capping layer where each of the layers is etched to reduce roughness. The sacrificial layer is configured to ensure an etch rate that allows for selective etching and may be deposited on the capping layer and after etching, may remain along grain boundaries of the capping layer. The remaining portions of the sacrificial layer may form a discontinuous layer, including layer segments positioned along grain boundaries of the capping layer. The sacrificial layer may be made of non-magnetic materials different from the materials of the capping layer or materials of an overcoat layer deposited on the etched capping layer.

Magnetic recording media with sacrificial layer and corresponding etching processes to minimize head to media spacing

A magnetic-recording medium includes a hydrogen and nitrogen implanted carbon overcoat (HNICOC) on a magnetic-recording layer. The HNICOC includes nitrogen implanted in a top-surface layer of the HNICOC such that a percentage ratio of a concentration of the implanted nitrogen to a concentration of carbon is between about 30 percent (%) to about 10% within a depth from about 2 &#x212b;ngstrom (&#x212b;) to about 5 &#x212b; from the top surface of the HNICOC. An amount of hydrogen implanted in the top-surface layer is between about 1% to about 12% within a distance less than about 5 &#x212b; from the top surface. A data storage device that incorporates the magnetic-recording medium within a magnetic-recording disk, and a method for making the magnetic-recording medium are also described.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Ge Xu