The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 22, 2003
Filed:
Apr. 25, 2001
Jing Gui, Fremont, CA (US);
Gary Clark Rauch, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Seagate Technology LLC, Scotts Valley, CA (US);
Abstract
Magnetic recording media exhibiting high SNR and high thermal stability are produced by sputter depositing a magnetic alloy overlying a non-magnetic substrate, e.g., on an underlayer, heating to eliminate thermally unstable small grains thereby increasing the average grain size of the magnetic alloy layer but narrowing the grain size distribution, depositing a layer comprising a non-ferromagnetic element, and then heating to diffuse the non-ferromagnetic element into the grain boundaries of the heat treated magnetic alloy layer. Embodiments include sputter depositing a magnetic alloy layer comprising Co and Pt on an underlayer, heating at a temperature of about 150° C. to about 600° C. to increase the average grain size to about 8 to about 10 nm, depositing a layer comprising Cr, Mn or Ta, at a thickness up to about 25 Å, e.g., up to about 10 Å, on the magnetic alloy layer and heating to diffuse the Cr, Mn or Ta into the grain boundaries of the magnetic alloy layer. Embodiments further include heating to diffuse the non-ferromagnetic element leaving a layer comprising the non-ferromagnetic element, at a thickness up to about 3 Å, on the magnetic alloy layer, with the amount of the non-ferromagnetic element diffused into the grain boundaries of the magnetic alloy layer gradually decreasing from the upper surface of the magnetic alloy layer toward the underlayer.