Abstract: A semiconductor device having favorable electrical characteristics is provided. The semiconductor device includes a conductor, a first insulator in contact with a side surface of the conductor, a second insulator in contact with a top surface of the conductor and a top surface of the first insulator, and an oxide over the second insulator. The oxide includes a region that overlaps with the conductor with the second insulator interposed therebetween. The maximum height of a roughness curve (Rz) of the top surface of the conductor is 6.0 nm or smaller. The region includes crystals, and c-axes of the crystals are aligned in the normal direction of the top surface of the conductor.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a magnetic recording medium is provided including a disk-shaped non-magnetic substrate and at least a perpendicular magnetic layer formed on the disk-shaped non-magnetic substrate, wherein the perpendicular magnetic layer has a structure in which an FePt or CoPt nanoparticle array is formed on a formation surface, on which a plurality of striations each having a circumferential directional component are formed, by a texturing treatment; a manufacturing method thereof; and a magnetic record/reproduction apparatus including the magnetic recording medium or a magnetic recording medium manufactured according to the manufacturing method.

Abstract: [Problem] An object is to provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium in which a narrower track width is achieved by enhancing an exchange coupling magnetic field Hex of a soft magnetic layer so that a higher recording density can be achieved. [Solution] A perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to the present invention is configured to include a magnetic recording layer 122 that records a signal, and a soft magnetic layer 114 provided below the magnetic recording layer, on a base 110 on a main surface of which textures are formed, wherein the textures includes first textures 110a that is linear rails in a certain direction, and second textures 110b that are trails intersecting at a predetermined angle with the first textures; and the angle of intersection between the first textures and the second textures is 10° or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a glass substrate for an information recording medium having a high level of cleanness and superior smoothness. The manufacturing method includes a step for washing a disk-shaped glass plate with an acid washing liquid, a step for removing at least part of a surface layer, which is formed on the surface of the glass plate, by performing grinding with diamond abrasion grains, and a step for washing the surface with a neutral or alkaline washing liquid.

Abstract: A substrate for a magnetic recording medium having a disc shape with a central hole is provided in which the surface roughness of the principal surface of the substrate is 1 angstrom or less in terms of root mean square roughness (Rq) when a space period (L) of an undulation in the circumferential direction is in the range 10 to 1,000 ?m, and in which when a component in the vertical axis direction of a line segment Z connecting a point A with the space period (L) of 10 ?m and a point B with the space period (L) of 1,000 ?m in a curve S marked on a double logarithmic graph which is obtained by analyzing the surface roughness using a spectrum and in which the horizontal axis is set to the space period (L) (?m) and the vertical axis is set to the power spectrum density (PSD) (k·angstrom2·?m) (where k is a constant) is defined as H and a displacement at which the component in the vertical axis direction of the curve S is the maximum with respect to the line segment Z is defined as ?H, a value (P) expressed by (?

Abstract: A glass substrate for a magnetic disk, wherein, in regions with respect to two places arbitrarily selected on a surface of the glass substrate on its central portion side relative to its outer peripheral end, a surface shape with a shape wavelength in a band of 60 to 500 ?m is extracted from surface shapes in each of the regions and, assuming that a root mean square roughness Rq of the surface shape is given as a microwaviness Rq, the difference between the microwavinesses Rq of the regions is 0.02 nm or less or the difference between standard deviations of the microwavinesses Rq of the regions is 0.04 nm or less.

Abstract: There is provided a glass substrate for a magnetic disk in which a maximum height of bumps forming a roughness pattern at a period of smaller than 2 ?m is 6 nm or lower in an annular area having a width of 30 ?m on a main surface on which a magnetic recording area is formed, a number of bumps having a height of 3 nm or higher in a unit area having a circular arc length of 30 ?m within the annular area is one or less, and a difference in arithmetic average roughness between unit areas within the annular area is 0.2 nm or smaller.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a glass substrate which ensures removal of abrasive and other foreign matter without making a cleaning step complicated involves cleaning the glass substrate by scrubbing using two or more types of cleaning liquid having different Si element elution abilities. The cleaning liquid having the highest Si element elution is used first, and the cleaning liquid having the lowest Si element elution is used last.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a glass substrate containing SiO2 as a main ingredient thereof and having a uniform and minute pattern of stripes formed on the surface thereof by ultraprecision polishing includes a step of inspecting whether or not, at the topmost surface portion of the glass substrate after polishing, a given property of a bound energy of the Si atom with respect to the electrons occupying a 2P orbit as determined by XPS is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the given property is a shift amount of the bound energy or a half-value width of the bound energy distribution, the predetermined value is 0.10 eV or 2.15 eV, respectively.

Abstract: It is an object to produce a magnetic storage medium of a high recording density by a production method that does not impair mass productivity, and a magnetic storage medium 10 is produced by a production method including: a magnetic-film forming step of forming a magnetic film 61 on a substrate 62; and a dots separating step of reducing saturation magnetization by locally injecting mixed ions of N2+ ion and N+ ion into an area, of the substrate 62, other than plural areas which respectively become magnetic dots 62c where information is to be magnetically recorded, thereby forming, between the magnetic dots 62c, a between-dot separator 62d having saturation magnetization smaller than saturation magnetization of the magnetic dots 62c.

Abstract: A glass substrate for a magnetic disk satisfies Ra1?0.8 [nm], 0 [nm]?Ra1?Ra2?0.2 [nm], Wa1?0.6 [nm], and 0 [nm]?Wa2?Wa1?0.2 [nm]. Ra1 is an average surface roughness of a first annular area between 1 mm and 3 mm outward from an inner periphery of a main surface of the glass substrate, Ra2 is an average surface roughness of a second annular area between 1 mm and 3 mm inward from an outer periphery of the main surface, Wa1 is an average waviness of the first area in a circumferential direction of the glass substrate having a cycle of 300 ?m to 5 mm, and Wa2 is an average waviness of the second area in the circumferential direction having a cycle of 300 ?m to 5 mm.

Abstract: Substrates for perpendicular magnetic recording media, and perpendicular magnetic recording media using such substrates, are disclosed. By setting the substrate inclination angle, or a parameter related to substrate shape relating to this angle, within an appropriate range, magnetic recording media can be obtained with excellent read signal quality and signal quality stability, regardless of the final substrate machining method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic disk substrate, in which an amplitude Wa of a waviness on a surface measured by using an interferometer for a versatile disk at a measuring wave-length of 5.0 mm is within the range of 0.1 nm to 0.5 nm, an average amplitude Wb of a microwaviness generated on the waviness measured by using a microscopy for three-dimensional surface-structural analysis at a measuring wave-length of 30 ?m to 200 ?m is 0.3 nm or less, and a value calculated by dividing the average amplitude Wb of the microwaviness by the amplitude Wa of the waviness is 0.6 or more.

Abstract: A method of producing bit-patterned media is provided whereby a shell structure is added on a bit-patterned media dot. The shell may be an antiferromagnetic material that will help stabilize the magnetization configuration at the remanent state due to exchange coupling between the dot and its shell. Therefore, this approach also improves the thermal stability of the media dot and helps each individual media dot maintain a single domain state.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk substrate being annular and having a first and a second main surface, (1) surface roughness measured by an atomic force microscope having a resolution of 256×256 pixels per 2 ?m square and/or (2) the number of foreign substances detected to have sizes of 0.1 ?m or more and 1.0 ?m or less upon detection of scattered light from the magnetic disk substrate when laser light with a wavelength of 405 nm is irradiated with a spot size of 5 ?m at a laser power of 25 mW differ/differs between the first and the second main surfaces. Only the first main surface has a surface quality usable as a magnetic recording surface. The number of the foreign substances detected to have the sizes of 0.1 ?m or more and 1.0 ?m or less upon detection of the scattered light from the magnetic disk substrate when the laser light with the wavelength of 405 nm is irradiated with the spot size of 5 ?m at the laser power of 25 mW is 400 or less per 30 cm2 on the second main surface.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic recording medium substrate suitable for preparation of a DT medium and a patterned medium, and the magnetic recording medium substrate is possible to be of easy preparation of the DT medium and the patterned medium with no complicated processes. Disclosed is a magnetic recording medium substrate comprising a circular plate-shaped substrate made of a nonmagnetic base material, wherein a predetermined region of a surface of the substrate to form a magnetic film on the surface is more roughened than another region of the surface. When forming a magnetic film on this substrate, the magnetic film is formed in the region of the substrate surface, which is more roughened than the other region, to easily prepare the DT medium and the patterned medium.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetic recording medium substrate product which enables enhancement of contact strength between a substrate end surface and a soft magnetic layer, as well as suppression of occurrence of corrosion, a magnetic recording medium including the substrate product, which exhibits no deterioration of electromagnetic conversion characteristics and has excellent durability and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus including the magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording medium substrate product includes a disk-shaped non-magnetic substrate having a circular hole in a center portion thereof, and having a chamfer formed at least one of a portion between a main surface on which a magnetic layer is to be formed and an outer end surface and a portion between the main surface and an inner end surface defining the circular hole, wherein the chamfer has a surface roughness (Ra) falling within a range of 4.0 ??Ra?100 ?, preferably 4.0 ??Ra?50 ?, as measured by means of an AFM.

Abstract: A magnetic storage apparatus is provided with a perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a soft magnetic underlayer and a recording layer, and a magnetic head having a medium opposing surface. The soft magnetic underlayer has axes of easy magnetization oriented along a circumferential direction. A return yoke part of a recording element in the head includes return side yokes arranged in a radial direction of a main magnetic pole part on the medium opposing surface, whereby a magnetic flux of a recording magnetic field flows in the radial direction within the soft magnetic underlayer.

Abstract: A glass substrate for a magnetic recording medium is formed to have a disc shape and includes ridge shaped textures 13 extending along concentric circles on a main surface. When measuring a 10 ?m square range with an atomic force microscope, the textures have a width W that is between 10 and 200 nm. The textures have a height H that is between 2 and 10 nm. Further, the textures have a ratio (Rp/RMs) of a maximum mountain height with respect to a root mean square roughness that is less than or equal to 15. The textures include high frequency components superimposed on the low frequency components. It is preferable that the textures of the high frequency components have a width W? that is between 0.1 and 20 nm, and the textures of the high frequency components have a height H? that is between 0.1 and 1 nm.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium including at least a disk substrate 1A, a magnetic recording layer 5 formed with a predetermined concavo-convex pattern on the disk substrate 1A, and a non-magnetic layer 6 filled into concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern, so as to have data track regions 20 and servo pattern regions 21. Due to the existence of concaves and convexes in the surface of each data track region 20, the foregoing problem is solved. On this occasion, arithmetical mean deviation of the assessed profile Ra of the surface of each data track region 20 is preferably not lower than 0.3 nm. The difference in surface level between each concave and each convex existing in the surface of the data track region 20 is preferably not larger than 6 nm.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium disk substrate is provided for achieving a magnetic disk having a suitable surface roughness, a high in-plane magnetic anisotropy and a high S/N. The manufacturing method has a texturing process wherein the magnetic recording medium disk substrate is rotated in the circumferential direction while a polishing tape is pressed against the rotating substrate. The polishing tape includes polyester fiber having a fiber diameter of 400 nm to 950 nm, on the surface coming into contact with the substrate. All the while, slurry including abrasive grains including a cluster diamond is supplied to the surfaces of the substrate. The present invention relates to a magnetic recording medium disk substrate produced by the manufacturing method; and a magnetic recording medium at least comprising a magnetic layer on the magnetic recording medium disk substrate and manufacturing method of the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A magnetic recording tape comprising a nonmagnetic support and a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and a binder, wherein the nonmagnetic support has an intrinsic viscosity of from 0.40 to 0.60 dl/g and a number average molecular weight of from 12,000 to 24,000, and a distance between an apex of a maximum convexity and a valley of a maximum concavity of the nonmagnetic support on a cross section of an edge of the tape made by cutting the tape in a transverse direction is 2 ?m or less in the transverse direction.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium including at least a disk substrate 1A, a magnetic recording layer 5 formed with a predetermined concavo-convex pattern on the disk substrate 1A, and a non-magnetic layer 6 filled into concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern, so as to have data track regions 20 and servo pattern regions 21. Due to the existence of concaves and convexes in the surface of each servo pattern region 21, the foregoing problem is solved. On this occasion, arithmetical mean deviation of the assessed profile Ra of the surface of each servo pattern region 21 is preferably not lower than 0.3 nm. The difference in surface level between each concave and each convex existing in the surface of the servo pattern region 21 is preferably not larger than 6 nm.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is provided, in which a high recording density is realized, and an electromagnetic transducing characteristic and an error rate are improved. The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic layer containing a non-magnetic powder and a binder resin and a magnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic powder and a binder resin on one surface of a non-magnetic substrate, the non-magnetic powder contains a non-magnetic inorganic powder having an average particle diameter of 80 nm or less, the three-dimensional center surface average roughness of the magnetic layer surface is 3.0 nm or less in a region of 100 ?m2 based on a measurement with an atomic force microscope, and the area share held by asperities of at least ±5.0 nm with reference to the surface at an average height is 15 percent or less in a region of 100 ?m2 on the magnetic layer surface.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is provided, in which a high recording density is realized, and an electromagnetic transducing characteristic and an error rate are improved. The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic layer containing a non-magnetic powder and a binder resin and a magnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic metal powder or hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder and a binder resin on one surface of a non-magnetic support, wherein the ferromagnetic metal powder has an average long axis length of 80 nm or less, or the hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder has an average tabular diameter in the range of from 10 to 40 nm, the three-dimensional center surface average roughness of the magnetic layer surface is 3.0 nm or less in a region of 100 ?m2 based on a measurement with an atomic force microscope, and the area share held by asperities of at least ±5.0 nm with reference to the surface at an average height is 15 percent or less in a region of 100 ?m2 on the magnetic layer surface.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is provided that includes a non-magnetic support and, in order, above the non-magnetic support, a radiation-cured material layer cured by exposing a layer that includes a radiation curable compound to radiation, and a magnetic layer that includes a fine ferromagnetic powder and a binder, a compound having one or more ether groups and three or more radiation curable functional groups per molecule being employed as the radiation curable compound, and the number of magnetic layer surface micro projections having a height measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) of 10 to 20 nm being 5 to 1,000 per 100 (?m)2. There is also provided the magnetic recording medium wherein it further includes a non-magnetic layer that includes a non-magnetic powder and a binder.

Abstract: On a principal surface of a glass disk substrate, a texture comprising a combination of an isotropic texture for stabilizing a flight of a magnetic head flying and traveling over a magnetic disk and an anisotropic texture for imparting a magnetic anisotropy to a magnetic layer of the magnetic disk is formed.

Abstract: A texture processing for imparting a magnetic orientation in the circumferential direction is applied to a substrate so as to impart a magnetic anisotropy to the magnetic disk in the circumferential direction. An underlying film, a magnetic recording film, a protective film, and a lubricating film are laminated one upon the other on the surface of the substrate. The surface of the magnetic disk has a value of the contact ratio [BH 1.0 nm] falling within a range of 7% to 15% in a region having a height not smaller than 1.0 nm, based on the height at which the contact ratio in the bearing curve of a surface roughness is 50%.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a glass substrate of a disk for recording information, containing oxides of rare earth elements and fine particles dispersed therein, and a disk for recording information and a disk apparatus for recording information using the glass substrate of the disk are provided. The glass substrate of the disk for recording information having preferable mechanical characteristics, as well as superior chemical stability, thermal stability, flatness, and transparency is provided, and a disk for recording information and a disk apparatus for recording information using the glass substrate of the disk are provided.

Abstract: A storage media comprises: a substrate comprising a plastic resin portion, wherein to plastic resin portion comprises poly(arylene ether) and a styrene material selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, styrenic copolymer(s), and reaction products and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing styrene material(s), and a data layer on the substrate. The data layer can be at least partly read from, written to, or a combination thereof by an energy field. Additionally, when the energy field contacts the storage media, the energy field is incident upon the data layer before it could be incident upon the substrate.

Abstract: The gas components in thermoplastic norbornene resin pellets are suppressed below certain levels by drying the resin under vacuum or under the ordinary pressure and under vacuum. A substrate for magnetic recording media is manufactured by injection-molding the resin dried by the method according to the invention. The magnetic recording medium, employing the substrate manufactured according to the invention, includes at least a magnetic layer, a protection layer on the magnetic layer and a liquid lubricant layer on the protection layer. The magnetic recording medium is manufactured by forming these layers, one after another, on the substrate according to the invention.

Abstract: A master information carrier has on its surface an irregularity pattern representing information to be magnetically transferred to a magnetic recording medium held in contact with the surface of the master information carrier. The parts of the surface of the master information carrier which is brought into contact with the magnetic recording medium are in the range of 0.3 nm to 10.0 nm in center plane mean surface roughness SRa.

Abstract: The invention relates to an element, comprising a substrate with a surface roughness of less than 5 nm, with saturated bonds on the surface and an MPt3 film applied to at least one side of the substrate, with a magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the plane of the film, with M=a metal of the 5th to 9th sub-group of the periodic table, nickel or gadolinium. The invention further relates to a method for production of the above and the use of said elements as a magnetic component, for example as a magnetic sensor or as a magneto-optical storage element.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of thin film magnetic disks and other useful articles of similar planar geometry in which a non-magnetic layer is first deposited on one or both sides of the disk or article substrate to mask chemical and mechanically induced heterogeneities introduced by pre-polishing to achieve a smooth finish, typically resulting in cold-working of the surface, and to also bind to the substrate and is then coated with a thin layer of metal selected to either reactively or catalytically initiate smooth, electroless deposition of a non-magnetic nickel alloy which is subsequently polished and coated with additional thin layers to provide magnetic read-write capability. A disk drive using one or more of such disks is provided.