Tdk Corporation

Mikiharu Hibi

Kazuhiro Hattori

Shuichi Okawa

Takahiro Suwa

Mitsuru Takai

Minoru Fujita

Kazuya Shimakawa

A stamper is formed so that a thickness between a concave/convex pattern formation surface, where a concave/convex pattern is formed, and a rear surface gradually decreases in a predetermined area of the stamper. The predetermined area corresponds to an area where pressure is likely to be concentrated when the concave/convex pattern of the stamper is used to form a concave/convex pattern on a substrate. A method of forming a concave/convex pattern uses such stamper, and a method of manufacturing an information recording medium uses a concave/convex pattern formed by such method.

Stamper, method of forming a concave/convex pattern, and method of manufacturing an information recording medium

The recording layer (to-be-etched layer), a main mask layer, and a sub mask layer are formed in this order over a substrate, and the sub mask layer is processed into a predetermined concavo-convex pattern. Next, parts of the main mask layer under the concave portions are removed by reactive ion etching using oxygen or ozone as the reactive gas. Parts of the recording layer under the concave portions are also removed by dry etching, whereby the recording layer is shaped into the concavo-convex pattern. The main mask layer is chiefly made of carbon. The sub mask layer is made of a material having an etching rate lower than that of carbon with respect to the reactive ion etching in the step of processing the main mask layer.

Method of dry etching, method of manufacturing magnetic recording medium, and magnetic recording medium

A magnetic recording medium includes at least a disk substrate, a magnetic recording layer formed with a predetermined concavo-convex pattern on the disk substrate, and a non-magnetic layer formed in concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern. Convex shapes made of a non-magnetic material are formed on the magnetic recording layer or the non-magnetic layer. Each convex shape is formed, for example, into a mountain-like shape whose upper surface width is made smaller than a width of each convex portion of the magnetic recording layer or a width of each concave portion where the non-magnetic layeris formed.

Magnetic recording medium including disk substrate, magnetic layer, and non-magnetic layer

A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium is provided, by which a magnetic recording medium having a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern, a sufficiently flat surface, and high recording and reproducing precision is efficiently manufactured. In a non-magnetic material filling step, a non-magnetic material is deposited over a recording layer formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern over a substrate to fill concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern with the non-magnetic material. In a flattening step, an excess part of the non-magnetic material above the recording layer is removed by dry etching, to flatten surfaces of the recording layer and the non-magnetic material. Processing conditions are set so as to substantially equalize an etching rate of the non-magnetic material with an etching rate of the recording layer with respect to the dry etching in the flattening step.

Method for manufacturing magnetic recording medium

A magnetic recording medium including at least a disk substrateA, a magnetic recording layerformed with a predetermined concavo-convex pattern on the disk substrateA, and a non-magnetic layerfilled into concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern, so as to have data track regionsand servo pattern regions. Due to the existence of concaves and convexes in the surface of each servo pattern region, the foregoing problem is solved. On this occasion, arithmetical mean deviation of the assessed profile Ra of the surface of each servo pattern regionis preferably not lower than 0.3 nm. The difference in surface level between each concave and each convex existing in the surface of the servo pattern regionis preferably not larger than 6 nm.

Magnetic recording medium and magnetic recording and reproducing device using a magnetic recording layer formed with a predetermined concavo-convex pattern

A method for filling concave portions of a concavo-convex pattern by which the concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern can be filled to flatten the surface with reliability, and a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium by which a magnetic recording medium having a magnetic recording layer of concavo-convex pattern with a sufficiently flat surface can be manufactured efficiently. A filler for filling the concave portions is deposited over the surface of an object to be processed, the object being provided with a concavo-convex pattern. A cladding is further deposited over the filler. Then, an excess part of the filler and the cladding above the surface of the object are removed for flattening, by using a dry etching method having a lower etching rate to the cladding than to the filler.

Method for filling concave portions of concavo-convex pattern and method for manufacturing magnetic recording medium

A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium is provided, which can efficiently manufacture a magnetic recording medium that includes a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern and has good recording and reproduction characteristics. The method includes: a non-magnetic material filling step of depositing a non-magnetic material over a recording layer formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern over a substrate so as to fill a concave portion of the concavo-convex pattern with the non-magnetic material; and a flattening step of removing the excess part of the non-magnetic material above the recording layer by dry etching so as to flatten the surfaces of the non-magnetic material and the recording layer. The flattening step includes a former flattening step and a latter flattening step for finishing.

Method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium

A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium is provided, which can efficiently manufacture a magnetic recording medium that includes a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern, has a sufficiently flat surface, and provides good recording and reproduction precision. The method includes: a non-magnetic material filling step of depositing a non-magnetic material over a recording layer formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern over a substrate, thereby filling a concave portion of the concavo-convex pattern with the non-magnetic material; and a flattening step of removing the excess part of the non-magnetic material above the recording layer by ion beam etching to flatten the surfaces of the non-magnetic layer and the recording layer.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Mikiharu Hibi