Abstract: On a magnetic recording medium, data track patterns and servo patterns are formed on one surface and another surface of a disk-shaped substrate by patterns including recording regions and non-recording regions.

Abstract: A rotary-type magnetic recording medium has servo patterns formed in servo pattern regions on a substrate by patterns including recording regions and non-recording regions. Burst signal units composed of the recording regions or the non-recording regions are formed in burst pattern regions in the servo pattern regions. The burst signal units are formed so that for at least one edge out of both edges along a direction of rotation of the magnetic recording medium, a center in the direction of rotation is positioned closer to the other edge than both ends in the direction of rotation, and a ratio of a length along a radial direction of the magnetic recording medium between both ends and the center of the one edge to a length along the radial direction between both ends of the one edge and both ends of the other edge is in a range of 0.2 or below.

Abstract: A compact ion gun capable of flattening both sides of a substrate, an ion beam etching apparatus provided with the ion gun, an ion beam etching facility, an etching method using them, and a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium are provided. The ion gun includes a plasma generation source and an extraction electrode unit. The extraction electrode unit has: a first electrode unit including a portion of a plurality of electrode plates on a first side of a reference plane intersecting the electrode plates, the portion being inclined with respect to the reference plane so as to face an irradiation target area along the reference plane; and a second electrode unit including a portion of the electrode plates on a second side of the reference plane, the portion being inclined with respect to the reference plane so as to face the irradiation target area along the reference plane.

Abstract: A convex/concave pattern-forming stamp which is capable of making recesses of a convex/concave pattern uniform in depth and preventing deformation and peeling of portions of the convex/concave pattern at the same time. The stamp has on a surface thereof an annular area formed with protrusions for forming a convex/concave pattern in a resin layer on a surface of a disk-shaped substrate by being pressed against the resin layer. Protrusions for dispersing a pressure applied to the resin layer when the stamp is pressed against the resin layer are formed in at least one of an outer area located radially outward of the annular area and an inner area located radially inward of the annular area.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, which provide high surface recording density and high recording/reading performance. The magnetic recording medium is manufactured by forming an intermediate protective layer between a continuous recording layer and a mask layer, dividing the continuous recording layer to form divided recording elements and removing the mask layer while leaving the intermediate protective layer on the top of the divided recording elements. Further, gaps between the divided recording elements are filled with a non-magnetic material while leaving the intermediate protective layer on the top of the divided recording elements.

Abstract: A concave/convex pattern forming method which makes it possible to easily press a stamper against a resin layer, and sufficiently maintain the shape of the concave/convex pattern after removing the stamper. During a resin layer forming process, the resin layer is formed using a resin material having a glass transition temperature higher than room temperature. During a pressing process, temperature control is performed such that temperatures of a substrate, the resin layer, and the stamper become higher than the glass transition temperature of the resin material by not less than 5° C. During a removing process, temperature control is performed such that temperatures of the substrate, the resin layer, and the stamper become not higher than a temperature 20° C. higher than the glass transition temperature of the resin material, and are equal or approximately equal to the temperatures of the substrate, the resin layer, and the stamper during the pressing process.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium for efficiently and certainly manufacturing a magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording medium has a recording layer formed to have predetermined concavo-convex pattern and an adequately flat surface. According to this method, a non-magnetic material is deposited on and filled into a member to be processed 10 by adjusting sputtering conditions in such a manner as to satisfy the following Eq I: 0.1?V/V0?0.003×(L·d/t)+1.2 Eq I where V represents a deposition rate which is the film thickness per unit of time, V0 represent a deposition rate in a case that the bias power is zero, t represents the film thickness of the deposited non-magnetic material, L represents the width of a recording element, and d represents the depth of a recessed portion between the recording elements.

Abstract: Provided are a manufacturing method for a magnetic recording medium enabling efficient and reliable manufacturing of a magnetic recording medium with minimal surface roughness and good precision in recording and reading information, and a magnetic recording medium with a high degree of surface recording density and good precision in recording and reading information. The magnetic recording medium is constructed by forming a divided recording layer and the like onto a substantially flat base surface of a dummy, such that the base surface side of the dummy serves as a front surface, and a substrate is also attached, after which the dummy is removed.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium that has a sufficiently flat surface and includes a recording layer having a concavo-convex pattern that provides favorable accuracy of recording and reproduction. The manufacturing method includes the steps of: forming a lower non-magnetic film over a recording layer having a concavo-convex pattern; and forming an upper non-magnetic film on the lower non-magnetic film to fill concave portions 34 of the concavo-convex pattern. A bias power is applied to an object to be processed at least in the step of forming the upper non-magnetic film, and no bias power or a smaller bias power than the bias power applied in the step of forming the upper non-magnetic film is applied in the formation of the lower non-magnetic film.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, which provide high surface recording density and high recording/reading performance. The magnetic recording medium is manufactured by forming an intermediate protective layer between a continuous recording layer and a first mask layer, dividing the continuous recording layer to form divided recording elements, and then removing the first mask layer while leaving the intermediate protective layer on the top of the divided recording elements. Further, gaps between the divided recording elements are filled with a non-magnetic material before removing the first mask layer.

Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium with improved manufacturing efficiency. A discrete track magnetic recording medium is manufactured as follows. A resist layer 58a is formed on a preform M in the form of a flat plate where a recording layer 55 is formed on a glass substrate 51 and a preform center of the preform M is specified. The stamper S is placed on the preform M with the specified preform center and the stamper center specified based on a stamper center specifying mark Sm formed on the stamper S aligned when viewed from the thickness direction of the preform M to transfer a concave/convex pattern of the stamper S to the resist layer 58a. The resist layer 58a to which the concave/convex pattern has been transferred is used to form concave parts in the recording layer 55 of the preform M.

Abstract: A mold having a pattern of a concavo-convex surface including protrusion and recess is prepared and the pattern is transferred to a resist layer formed on a substrate by an imprinting method. The side surface of a protrusion of the transferred resist pattern is then etched so that the protrusion has a width narrower than a width of the corresponding recess formed to the mold. This resist pattern forming method is preferably applicable to a magnetic recording medium manufacturing method and a magnetic head manufacturing method.

Abstract: An imprinting apparatus according to the present invention is configured to be capable of removing a stamper having one surface thereof formed with a concave/convex portion and having flexibility, from a resist layer to which shapes of the concave/convex portion of the stamper have been transferred by pressing the concave/convex portion of the stamper against the resist layer on a disk-shaped substrate. The imprinting apparatus comprises a suction device (a suction section, an air pump, and a restrictor) configured to be capable of sucking a predetermined part of the other surface of the stamper to thereby remove the predetermined part from the resist layer such that a removal completion range of the stamper can be gradually expanded from a state where the predetermined part is removed from the resist layer by the suction device.

Abstract: A production apparatus, which enable the efficient production of a discrete type magnetic recording medium, while reliably preventing any deterioration of the partitioned recording elements.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium which is prevented from deterioration of the partitioned recording elements is provided. A magnetic recording medium has partitioned recording elements, a non-magnetic body filled in grooves between the partitioned recording elements, and a barrier film formed between the partitioned recording elements and the non-magnetic body.

Abstract: A mask forming method forms a concave/convex pattern in a mask when the mask is formed over a substrate. A coating film forming process forms a coating film by applying a radiation-curing coating composition onto the substrate. A radiation irradiating process then irradiates the coating film with radiation. Finally, a pattern transferring process presses a surface of a stamper on which a concave/convex pattern has been formed onto the coating film to transfer the concave/convex pattern to the coating film.

Abstract: An energy beam irradiating apparatus includes a substrate holder, a moving stage, an energy beam irradiating mechanism, and a control unit. A disc-like substrate is attached to the substrate holder which includes a holder main part on which the disc-like substrate is mounted and a pressing plate, the disc-like substrate being held between the holder main part and the pressing plate with a formation region of an irradiation pattern on the disc-like substrate and a partial region of at least one of an outer edge and an inner edge of the disc-like substrate being exposed. The moving stage moves the substrate holder. The energy beam irradiating mechanism irradiates a surface of the disc-like substrate attached to the substrate holder with an energy beam.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, which enables efficient and ensured manufacture of a magnetic recording medium having a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern and a satisfactorily flat surface, and a magnetic recording medium are provided. According to the method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, a material whose state is selectable between a flowing state and a cured state is used as a non-magnetic material 36. After the non-magnetic material 36 is formed in a flowing state on a surface of an object to be processed 10 including a recording layer 32 formed in a concavo-convex pattern over a glass substrate 12, then the non-magnetic material 36 is cured.

Abstract: A low cost magnetic recording medium having low surface roughness and a method for manufacturing the magnetic recording medium are provided. A soft magnetic layer 16 has a laminate structure including a first soft magnetic layer 26 on the substrate 12 side and a second soft magnetic layer 28 on the recording layer 20 side. The second soft magnetic layer 28 is formed such that the surface roughness of the surface 28A on the recording layer 20 side of the second soft magnetic layer 28 is less than the surface roughness of the base surface 12A of the substrate 12 and is less than the surface roughness of the surface 26A on the recording layer 20 side of the first soft magnetic layer 26.

Abstract: There are provided a next process-determining method capable of determining a next process to be carried out next objectively and at the same time in a short time period, as well as an inspecting method and apparatus which are capable of carrying out a predetermined inspection as to an object to be inspected according to the next process-determining method. A sample object is digitized to sample data formed by digital data. The sample data is compressed into compressed sample data according to a predetermined data format. There is calculated a difference data amount between a data amount of the compressed sample data and a data amount of reference data formed by digitizing and compressing a reference sample object in the same manner as the sample object is processed. Which of a plurality of predetermined numerical ranges the difference data amount belongs to is identified.