Abstract: Systems and methods for providing heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media configured to couple energy from a near field transducer (NFT) are provided. One such method includes providing a magnetic recording layer including an L10 ordered FePt or an L10 ordered CoPt, selecting a plurality of preselected parameters for a coupling layer, the preselected parameters including a material, a preselected deposition temperature, and a preselected thickness, and depositing the coupling layer directly on the magnetic recording layer using the preselected parameters such that the coupling layer has an extinction coefficient greater than 0.1.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a recording medium comprising: a hard magnetic recording layer and an interlayer disposed under the hard magnetic recording layer, wherein the interlayer comprises an upper layer of Ru-based alloy and a lower layer of RuCo or ReCo alloy. Generally for embodiments of the present invention, the lower layer of RuCo or ReCo alloy is formed over a seed layer using a low-pressure sputter process, and the upper layer of Ru-based alloy is formed over the lower layer using a high-pressure sputter process.

Abstract: Systems and methods for forming magnetic media with an underlayer are provided. One such method includes providing a non-magnetic substrate, forming a seed layer above the substrate, the seed layer including MgO, forming an underlayer on the seed layer, the underlayer including a material selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, W, Fe, V, Cu, and Ag, and forming a magnetic recording layer on the underlayer, the recording layer including FePt oxide.

Abstract: An energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) system includes a magnetic recording medium including a plurality of bi-layers and a magnetic recording layer on the plurality of bi-layers, a magnetic transducer configured to write information to the magnetic recording medium, and a light source positioned proximate the magnetic transducer and configured to heat the magnetic recording medium. Each of the plurality of bi-layers includes a heatsink layer and an amorphous under-layer on the heatsink layer.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide for a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media comprising: a magnetic recording layer; a barrier layer disposed under the magnetic recording layer; a first underlayer disposed under the barrier layer; and an amorphous seedlayer disposed under the first underlayer. For some embodiments, the recording medium may comprise: a magnetic recording layer including FePt alloy, a CoPt alloy, or a FePd alloy; a barrier layer including MgO, TiC, TiN, CrN, TiCN, ?-WC, TaC, HfC, ZrC, VC, NbC, or NiO; a first underlayer including RuAl-oxide, NiAl, FeAl, AlMn, CuBe, or AlRe; or an amorphous seedlayer including a Cr—X alloy, where X comprises Al, B, C, Cu, Hf, Ho, Mn, Mo, Ni, Ta, Ti, V, W, or Ru.

Abstract: A composite hard magnetic recording layer for a magnetic storage comprises a hard magnetic layer and a capping layer. The composite recording layer has a crystal structure where crystal grains include a portion within the magnetic layer and a portion within the capping layer.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) media including a non-magnetic or superparamagnetic grain isolation magnetic anisotropy layer (GIMAL) to provide a template for initially well-isolated small grain microstructure as well as improvement of Ku in core grains of a magnetic recording layer. The GIMAL composition may be adjusted to have lattice parameters similar to a bottom magnetic recording layer and to provide a buffer for reducing interface strains caused by lattice mismatch between the bottom magnetic recording layer and an underlying layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a recording medium comprising: a hard magnetic recording layer and an interlayer disposed under the hard magnetic recording layer, wherein the interlayer comprises an upper layer of Ru-based alloy and a lower layer of RuCo or ReCo alloy. Generally for embodiments of the present invention, the lower layer of RuCo or ReCo alloy is formed over a seed layer using a low-pressure sputter process, and the upper layer of Ru-based alloy is formed over the lower layer using a high-pressure sputter process.

Abstract: Method of incorporating atomic oxygen into a magnetic recording layer by sputtering a target containing an oxide of cobalt. The oxide of cobalt may be sputtered to provide a readily dissociable source of oxygen which may increase the concentration of free cobalt atoms (Co) in the magnetic recording layer and also increase oxide content in the magnetic recording layer.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be antiparallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprises a substrate; a heatsink layer comprising a layer of crystallized CuTi; and a hard magnetic recording layer. The crystallized CuTi is applied in an amorphous state and then crystallized through heating. The use of this heatsink improves surface and underlayer roughness compared to previous heatsink designs.

Abstract: A magnetic recording (PMR) disk structure is described. The PMR disk structure may include a magnetic capping layer being substantially free of an oxide, an upper magnetic layer with an oxide content disposed directly below and in contact with the magnetic capping layer, and an upper exchange coupling layer disposed below the upper magnetic layer.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be anti-parallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.

Abstract: FePt-based perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) media including an ordering temperature reducing layer between a bottom FePtX magnetic recording layer and a nucleation layer. In one embodiment, an ordering temperature reducing layer of carbon is employed to lower the L10 ordering temperature of a FePtC recording layer.

Abstract: Perpendicular magnetic recording media having a magnetic capping layer that is exchange coupled to an underlying perpendicular magnetic recording layer. The magnetic coupling layer is a granular layer having a high saturation magnetization (Ms). The perpendicular magnetic recording layer can include magnetic grains separated by an oxide grain boundary phase.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be anti-parallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be anti-parallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising a substrate, a soft underlayer, a seed layer, a non-magnetic FCC NiW alloy underlayer, a non-magnetic HCP underlayer, and a magnetic layer. We have discovered that the combination of a seed layer comprising Ta and a NiW alloy underlayer uniquely improves media recording performance and thermal stability by achieving excellent coercivity of the thin bottom magnetic recording layer and narrow C axis orientation distribution.

Abstract: A magnetic disk for information storage that includes a substrate and an information layer for containing information. The information layer includes a upper (e.g., recording) and lower (e.g., stabilizing) layers. The information layer has a remanence-squareness-thickness-product (“Mrt”) that varies radially between first and second disk radii. At least one of the following conditions is true: (i) the information layer has a coercivity that is at least substantially constant between the first and second disk radii; (ii) the lower magnetic layer has a magnetic anisotropy energy of no more than about 1.5×106 erg/cm3; and (iii) the magnetic anisotropy energy of the upper magnetic layer is at least about 150% of the magnetic anisotropy energy of the lower magnetic layer.

Abstract: A perpendicular recording medium having a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a magnetically soft underlayer structure disposed beneath the recording layer. The soft underlayer structure includes at least first and second soft magnetic layers having different magnetic permeabilities to create a magnetic permeability gradient in the soft underlayer structure. One or more of the soft magnetic layers can be anti-parallel coupled. The soft underlayer structure of the present invention having a magnetic permeability gradient advantageously leads to reduced adjacent track erasure (ATE) while maintaining good overwrite (OW) properties.