Abstract: In a stamper which is used as a mold for pattern transfer, the problem is resolved in such a manner that at least the convex extreme surface of the stamper is formed of a material 110 with no crystalline peak in X-ray diffraction. Such a stamper can be manufactured by the method comprising the steps of forming a convex-concave pattern on a substrate, forming, on the convex-concave pattern, a layer of a material 110 with no crystalline peak in X-ray diffraction, and removing the layer of the material with no crystalline peak in X-ray diffraction from said substrate and convex-concave pattern in intimate contact with the layer.

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: A substrate for a magnetic recording medium with a small surface roughness at a low cost, a magnetic recording medium including the substrate for the magnetic recording medium, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The substrate for a magnetic recording medium includes a main substrate one face of which serves as a base surface, and a sub-substrate formed on the base surface of the main substrate by a deposition technique such as a bias sputtering method which applies a bias power thereon. In this configuration, a surface roughness of the sub-substrate is smaller than a surface roughness of the base surface of the main substrate.

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 material having an amorphous structure is used as a ground material on which a resist layer is applied. After the resist layer is irradiated with an exposure electron beam to form latent images, the latent images are developed so that a predetermined line-and-space pattern is formed in the resist layer.

Abstract: A mask forming method forms an A mask forming functional layer with an amorphous structure so as to cover an etched body, forms a B mask forming functional layer so as to cover the formed A mask forming functional layer, forms a convex/concave pattern in the formed B mask forming functional layer by carrying out a predetermined process to form a B mask on the A mask forming functional layer, and forms an A mask on the etched body by forming a convex/concave pattern in the A mask forming functional layer by dry etching the A mask forming functional layer using the B mask. By doing so, a convex/concave pattern with extremely small pattern fluctuations can be formed in the A mask forming functional layer.

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 equation (I): 0.1?V/V0??0.003×(L·d/t)+1.2??(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: 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 manufacturing method for a magnetic recording medium stamp manufactures a magnetic recording medium stamp for manufacturing a discrete track-type magnetic recording medium. The manufacturing method includes a step of forming a convex/concave pattern in a resin layer formed on a support substrate, a step of forming a conductive film so as to cover the convex/concave pattern and then forming a metal film on the conductive film by carrying out a plating process, and a step of separating a multilayer structure composed of the conductive film and the metal film from the support substrate.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium capable of preventing contact with a magnetic head for use in recording or reproduction, during recording or reproducing of record data. The magnetic recording medium has a disk-shaped substrate having a surface formed with an annular data-recording area, an outer area outward of the data-recording area, and an inner area inward of the same. The annular data-recording area has a plurality of tracks separated from each other by concentric separating grooves. At least one of the outer area and the inner is subjected to lift-adjusting treatment for enabling adjustment of lifts applied to the magnetic head. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the magnetic head from being inclined to be brought into contact with the magnetic recording medium.

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

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.

Abstract: A method of producing a magnetic recording medium, and an apparatus thereof in which coercive force can be detected in an in-line mode, a metal thin film magnetic layer can be produced stably, and a vapor deposition film having a stable quality can be obtained. A method of producing a magnetic recording medium, comprising the steps of forming a metal thin film magnetic layer on a substrate, irradiating a light to a surface of the metal thin film magnetic layer, and measuring lightness of a reflected light from the surface to monitor coercive force of the metal thin film magnetic layer.

Abstract: The present invention manifests a highly excellent effect of allowing the plasma polymerization film to be formed stably for a long time while very rarely suffering occurrence of abnormal discharge during the formation of the plasma polymerization film and promoting the improvement of the yield of products because it adopts as the electrode for implementing plasma polymerization that of the electrodes which is located on the side confronting a surface on which the plasma polymerization film is formed, coats this electrode with a polymer material at a covering ratio in the range of 50-100%, and effects the formation of the plasma polymerization film on an elongate substrate under the operating pressure in the range of 10.sup.-3 -1 Torr. Further, the properties of the plasma polymerization film also become highly excellent.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprising a nonmagnetic base, an SiO.sub.x (x=1.2-1.95) undercoat, an under-layer ferromagnetic metal film consisting of a Co--Ni alloy, an SiO.sub.x (x=1.2-1.95) intermediate layer, an upper-layer ferromagnetic metal protective film consisting of a Co--Ni alloy, a diamond-like carbon protective film, and a lubricant layer, formed in the order of mention, the angles of vapor deposition as measured from lines normal to the upper- and under-layer ferromagnetic metal films being all decreasing toward the upper surfaces. The magnetic recording medium is made by forming an SiO.sub.x (x=1.2-1.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium has a magnetic layer comprised of two stacked sublayers each in the form of ferromagnetic metal thin film consisting of columnar crystal grains wherein the angle .theta. between the average growth direction of the columnar crystal grains and a normal to the substrate is .theta..gtoreq.45.degree. for the lower sublayer and .theta..ltoreq.30.degree. for the upper sublayer, and the mean maximum diameter of columnar crystal grains of the lower sublayer is not smaller than the mean maximum diameter of columnar crystal grains of the upper sublayer. An apparatus suitable for the evaporation of the magnetic layer is arranged as shown in the Figure. Magnetic flux associated with the upper sublayer finds an escape to the lower sublayer, preventing formation of a closed loop of magnetic flux within the columnar crystal grains of the upper sublayer. The lower sublayer is magnetized, thus contributing to an improvement in reproduction output.

Abstract: The problem of rusting relating to a magnetic recording medium composed of a non-magnetic base and a magnetic recording layer of a ferromagnetic metal layer formed thereon is overcome by a magnetic recording medium comprising a non-magnetic support, a ferromagnetic metal thin film as a magnetic recording layer and a lubricating layer, wherein the lubricating layer contains a mixture of a first lubricant having a polar perfluoro radial and a second lubricant expressed by the following formula: ##STR1## where R is a divalent radical having 2 or fewer carbons atoms;D is a polar radical selected from phosphorus-containing radical, hydroxyl, carboxyl and esterified carboxyl;R.sup.1 is selected from F, CF.sub.3 and C.sub.2 F.sub.5 ; andR.sup.2 and R.sub.3 are selected from F, CF.sub.3 and C.sub.2 F.sub.5, CF(CF.sub.3).sub.2 and C(CF.sub.3).sub.3.