Seagate Technology Incorporated

Shoutao Wang

Charles Changging Chen

Abebe Hailu

Weilu Hang Xu

Xiaoguang Ma

Mark B Johnson

Thomas P Nolan

Chung-hee Chang

Jai-Young Kim

Kyongha Kang

Chunghee Chang

Vincent D Nguyen

Miaogen Lu

Alexander Yulievich Dobin

Charles Changqing Chen

Bo Bian

Alan Huang

A stack including a crystallographic orientation interlayer, a magnetic zero layer disposed on the interlayer, and a magnetic recording layer disposed on the magnetic zero layer is disclosed. The magnetic zero layer is non-magnetic or has a saturation magnetic flux density (B) less than about 100 emu/cc. The magnetic zero layer and the magnetic layer include grains surrounded by a non-magnetic segregant. The magnetic zero layer provides a coherent interface between the interlayer and the magnetic layer with a lattice mismatch less than about 4%.

Stack including a magnetic zero layer

An apparatus and method are provided for improving perpendicular magnetic recording media. The present invention provides media, and a method of fabricating media in a cost-effective manner, with a reduced ruthenium (Ru) content interlayer structure, while meeting media performance requirements. A perpendicular magnetic recording medium is provided comprising a non-magnetic substrate having a surface, and a layer stack situated on the substrate surface. The layer stack comprises, in overlying sequence from the substrate surface a magnetically soft underlayer; an amorphous or crystalline, non-magnetic seed layer; an interlayer structure for crystallographically orienting a layer of a perpendicular magnetic recording material situated on the underlayer; and at least one crystallographically oriented, magnetically hard, perpendicular magnetic recording layer situated on the interlayer structure. The interlayer structure is a stacked structure comprising, in overlying sequence: a chromium alloy situated on the seed layer; and an upper interlayer situated on the chromium alloy.

Interlayer comprising chromium-containing alloy

Seed layer comprising FCC structure

Aspects are directed to recording media with enhanced magnetic properties for improved writability. Examples can be included or related to methods, systems and components that allow for improved writability while reducing defects so as to obtain uniform magnetic properties such as uniformly high anisotropy and narrow switching field distribution. Some examples include a recording medium with an exchange tuning layer inserted between the hard layer and the soft, semi-soft or thin semi-hard layer so as to maximize the writability improvement of the media. Preferably, the exchange tuning layer is granular and reduces or optimizes the vertical coupling between the hard layer and the soft, semi-soft or semi-hard layer of a magnetic recording or storing device.

Magnetic recording media with enhanced writability and thermal stability

Granular perpendicular media interlayer for a storage device

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprises a layer stack formed over a surface of a non-magnetic substrate, and comprising, in overlying sequence from the surface: a magnetically soft underlayer; an interlayer structure for crystallographically orienting a layer of a perpendicular magnetic recording material formed thereon; and at least one crystallographically oriented, magnetically hard, perpendicular magnetic recording layer on the interlayer structure; wherein the interlayer structure is a triple-layer stacked structure comprising: a first interlayer of a first non-magnetic material proximal the magnetically soft underlayer and containing Ru; a second interlayer of a second non-magnetic material in overlying contact with the first interlayer and not containing Ru; and a third interlayer of a third non-magnetic material in overlying contact with the second interlayer and containing Ru.

Recording media interlayer structure

A magnetic recording medium having a substrate, underlayer, a low moment stabilizing layer, an antiferromagnetic coupling layer, a low magnetic layer having a magnetic saturation of equal to or less than 250 emu/cm, and a high moment magnetic layer having a magnetic saturation of more than 250 emu/cm, in this order, is disclosed. The magnetic recording medium has a weak coupling strength of Jex &#x2266;0.05.

Weak antiferromagnetically coupled media with a five element magnetic alloy and a low moment stabilizing layer

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Shoutao Wang