Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a substrate, an underlayer on the substrate, a multiple-laminated magnetic layer, a non-magnetic CoCr-based interlayer interposed between the multiple-laminated magnetic layer and the underlayer, and a protecting layer coated on the multiple-laminated magnetic layer. The multiple-laminated magnetic layer having at least a lower magnetic layer deposited, a spacer layer deposited on the lower magnetic layer, a upper magnetic layer deposited on the spacerII layer, and a non-magnetic CoCr-based spacerII layer deposited between the upper magnetic layer and the spacer layer. The multiple-laminated magnetic layer is used to record data. The non-magnetic CoCr-based spacerII layer is used to enhance preferred orientation and lattice matching between the upper magnetic layer and the spacer layer.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for forming a lubricant layer of differing thickness on distinct zones of a maonetic disk of a hard disk drive without heating, inert gas plasma and UV-radiation or E-beam exposition. According to the present invention. an overcoat layer with distinct zones of differing thickness is first sputtered on the disk surface by using distinct masks under different sputtering conditions. A lubricant layer is then uniformly coated on the overcoat layer. Since a part of lubricant is bonded to the overcoat to form a bonded lubricant layer and the thickness of the bonded lubricant layer relates to the overcoat layer's property, a free lubricant layer with zoned thickness is consequently formed, which the free lubricant layer consists of the leftover lubricant. The zoned lubricant layer of the invention hence decreases the flying stiction.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium for use in making high-density computer hard disks. It contains: (a) an aluminum or Ni/P substrate; (b) a chromium underlayer on the substrate; (c) a four-component magnetic recording layer on the underlayer; and (d) a carbon protective layer on the magnetic recording layer. The magnetic recording layer comprises 66-78 atom percent of cobalt, 12-16 atom percent of chromium, 6-10 atom percent of nickel, and 4-8 atom percent of tantalum. The CoCrTiTa four-component exhibits a high coercivity (greater than 2,800 Oe), which results in many improved qualities, including increased recording density, reduced noise, improved off-track capability (OTC), and reduced on-track error rate (OTER). It also also allows the sputtering process to be conducted at a substantially lowered temperature.

Abstract: The present invention relates to high-coercivity magnetic recording media used in a hard disk drive. The magnetic recording medium comprises a nonmagnetic substrate, a seed layer comprising NiAl alloy sputtered onto the substrate, a sublayer comprising CrV alloy sputtered onto the seed layer, a magnetic layer comprising CoCrPtTaNb alloy sputtered onto the sublayer, and a carbon overcoat sputtered onto the magnetic layer. The magnetic recording medium of such a structure has improved signal-to-noise ratio, coercivity, overwrite capability, and orientation ratio thereby greatly improving the storage density and read/write capacity of the magnetic recording medium. Furthermore, the coercivity of the magnetic layer of CoCrPtTaNb alloy according to the present invention can be as high as 4000 Oersteds even without the use of the NiAl seed layer.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic recording media is prepared which contains a carbon overcoat sputtered on a magnetic recording layer. The carbon overcoat is sputtered on the magnetic recording layer using a sputtering process which is conducted in a sputtering chamber having an inert gas and a mixture of nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas, wherein said nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas are provided at a mole ratio of nitrogen/hydrogen between about 0.5 and about 1. The hydrogen and nitrogen doped amorphous carbon overcoat exhibits excellent mechanical properties and tribological performance.