Information recording medium with magnetic marks, recording and reproducing apparatus therefor, and head positioning method using detected magnetic leakage fields from the magnetic marks

Abstract

A recording and reproducing apparatus including a recording magnetic head and a reproducing magnetic head with their floating height lowered for high density recordation and reproduction is provided. An information recording medium is provided on which it is possible to densely record information and from which it is possible to densely reproduce information by lowering the floating height of the recording and reproducing heads. The information recording medium includes a flat substrate and a recording layer provided on the substrate. Servo patterns and management information are recorded as magnetic marks on the recording layer in advance by a servo writer or the like. Because the substrate needs no recessed and embossed patterns formed in it, the slider of the recording and reproducing apparatus can be floated at a constant floating height lower than conventionally over the whole area of the medium. During information recordation, the position of the slider is controlled on the basis of the magneto-optical signals from the magnetic marks. During information reproduction, the reproducing magnetic head controls the slider position on the basis of the magnetic leakage fields leaking from the magnetic marks.