Abstract: A recording medium having improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) capabilities includes a cap layer over the recording layer, where the cap layer has a magnetic damping constant greater than 0.03, such as by using a FeHo cap layer. One mechanism for increasing the SNR is by reducing the switching field distribution. Such a medium is particularly useful in the context of heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR).

Abstract: A novel lubricant comprising a fluorinated graphene nanoribbon for a magnetic recording media structure is disclosed. The magnetic recording media structure includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer for recording information disposed over the substrate, a protective overcoat layer for protecting the magnetic recording layer disposed over the magnetic recording layer, and a lubricant layer disposed over the protective overcoat layer and comprising a fluorinated graphene nanoribbon.

Abstract: An imprinting method is described. The imprinting method including clamping a portion of an embossing foil to a first die of a die press with a spring tensioned clamp, receiving a magnetic recording disk in the die press, and pressing the embossing foil against the magnetic recording disk to emboss a side of the magnetic recording disk with a discrete track recording pattern.

Abstract: A press system including a first die and a second die. The press system further includes a mandrel extending along a longitudinal mandrel axis through the first die. A rod portion of the mandrel to receive a magnetic recording disk to be pressed. The press system further includes a foil holder coupled to the first die. The foil holder to clamp a first portion of an embossing foil to the first die and allow the clamped foil portion to move in a radial direction relative to the foil holder.

Abstract: One aspect of a recording device includes a memory, a head configured to access the memory, and a photocatalytic filter configured to prevent contaminants from depositing on the memory or the head, the photocatalytic filter comprising a photocatalytic material, and a light-emitting diode configured to illuminate the photocatalytic material.

Abstract: A station for a disk processing system includes a load lock chamber, a variable conductance valve configured to connect the chamber to a vacuum pump, and valve controller. The valve controller may include a processor that controls an electromechanical actuator to adjust the conductance of the valve during the evacuation of the chamber.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the accuracy of test measurements involving aggressor tracks written to the disks are provided. One such method involves erasing a circumferential band of a disk, writing a central track on the circumferential band, measuring and storing a first track profile of the central track, writing an aggressor track on each side of the central track at a preselected aggressor track offset from the central track, measuring and storing a track profile of the aggressor tracks at the preselected aggressor track offset, measuring and storing a second track profile of the central track, performing the prior actions exactly n times where n is greater than or equal to 1, determining an estimated distance between the aggressor tracks based on the respective track profiles, determining a selected measurement using the estimated distance between the aggressor tracks, and the first and second track profiles of the central track.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product are disclosed for determining a material type of storage media substrates. The method includes using a first sensor to detect an object that indicates the presence of at least one storage media substrate, and using an inductive sensor to determine whether the at least one storage media substrate is of a metallic type.

Abstract: Methods to etch a workpiece are described. In one embodiment, a workpiece is disposed within an etchant solution having a composition comprising a dilute acid and a non-ionic surfactant. An electric field is generated within the etchant solution to cause an anisotropic etch pattern to form on a surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for designing and manufacturing hard masks used in the creation of patterned magnetic media and, more particularly, patterned magnetic recording media used in hard disk drives (e.g., bit patterned media (BPM)). In some embodiments, the hard mask incorporates at least one layer of Ta (tantalum) and at least one layer of C (carbon) and is used during ion implantation of a pattern onto magnetic media. The hard mask can be fabricated with a high aspect ratio to achieve small feature sizes while maintaining its effectiveness as a mask, is robust enough to withstand the ion implantation process, and can be removed after the ion implantation process with minimal damage to the magnetic media.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing media having a moment keeper layer for heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). One such method for writing information to a magnetic media having a moment keeper layer using heat assisted magnetic recording includes heating a portion of the media to a preselected temperature, where the media includes a magnetic recording layer adjacent to the keeper layer, where a Curie temperature of the keeper layer is greater than a Curie temperature of the recording layer, and where the preselected temperature is about equal to, or greater than, the Curie temperature of the recording layer, allowing the portion of the media to cool, and writing information to the media during the cooling.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium including a substrate, and at least one magnetic layer formed on the substrate. The magnetic layer is formed from an alloy containing Cobalt, and Platinum (Pt). The magnetic layer is also formed from grain boundary segregation materials comprising Manganese Oxide and at least one of Silicon Oxide, Chromium Oxide, and Cobalt Oxide (CoO).

Abstract: A detergent for cleaning media is provided. The detergent comprises deionized water, between about 1% and about 5% by weight of a nonionic surfactant having an hydrophile/lipophile balance (HLB) value between about 10 and about 20, and an ethoxylation level between about 5 and about 20, between about 1% and about 5% by weight of a dispersing agent, between about 3% and about 10% by weight of a chelating agent comprising phosphonic acid, and between about 2% and about 6% by weight of an inorganic salt.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling the damping of magnetic media for heat assisted magnetic recording are provided. One such system includes a heat sink layer, a growth layer on the heat sink layer, a magnetic recording layer on the growth layer, where the growth layer is configured to facilitate a growth of a preselected crystalline structure of the magnetic recording layer, and a capping magnetic recording layer on the magnetic recording layer, the capping recording layer including a first material configured to increase a damping constant of the capping recording layer to a first preselected level.

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 chemical composition for cleaning a medium is provided. For some embodiments, the chemical composition comprises a nonionic surfactant, an inorganic salt, a glycol compound, a chelating agent, and deionized water. For example, the chemical composition may comprise between about 1% and 5% of nonionic surfactant, between about 2% and 6% by weight of an inorganic salt, between about 5% and 10% by weight of a glycol compound, between about 5% and 10% by weight of a chelating agent, and deionized water.

Abstract: Methods for measuring media performance associated with adjacent track interference are provided. One such method includes iteratively writing data to a target track for each of a plurality of n frequencies, measuring a first signal amplitude and a first noise for each of the n sectors on the target track, writing an aggressor track pattern proximate the target track, measuring a second signal amplitude and a second noise for each of the n sectors on the target track, calculating a weighted sum for each of the signal amplitude measurements for each of the plurality of n frequencies, and calculating a weighted sum for each of the noise measurements for each of the plurality of n frequencies, and repeating the writing the aggressor track pattern, the measuring the second signal amplitude and the second noise, and calculating the weighted sums for preselected numbers of times.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic disk that is excellent in durability, particularly in LUL durability and CFT properties, and thus has high reliability despite the low flying height of a magnetic head following the rapid increase in recording density in recent years and despite the very strict environmental resistance following the diversification of applications. A magnetic disk (10) has at least a magnetic layer (6), a carbon-based protective layer (7), and a lubricating layer (8) provided in this order over a substrate (1). The lubricating layer (8) contains a compound having a perfluoropolyether main chain in a structure thereof and having a polar group other than at ends of a molecule thereof.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium includes the steps of (a) forming a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and (b) applying an ion beam to regions between tracks of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer so as to form separation regions for magnetically separating the tracks from each other. In the step (a), a continuous film layer composed of a multilayer film is formed, and CoB layers and Pd layers are laminated in the multilayer film. In the step (b), the CoB layers and the Pd layers are melted by the ion beam so as to form an alloy of metals contained in the CoB layers and the Pd layers to thereby form the separation regions.

Abstract: A method of testing a head for contamination includes detecting a first touchdown power of the head, the head having a flying height actuator; calculating a back-off power for the head using an estimated relationship between back-off power and touchdown power; determining an operating power that is equal to the detected first touchdown power minus the calculated back-off power; passing the head over a magnetic media one or more times while applying the determined operating power to the flying height actuator; detecting a second touchdown power after passing the head over the magnetic media; and determining whether contamination on the head exceeds a threshold amount based on the detected second touchdown power.