Abstract: The embodiments fill the need to enhance electro-migration performance, provide lower metal resistivity, and improve metal-to-metal interfacial adhesion for copper interconnects by providing improved processes and systems that produce an improved metal-to-metal interface, more specifically copper-to-cobalt-alloy interface. An exemplary method of preparing a substrate surface of a substrate to selectively deposit a thin layer of a cobalt-alloy material on a copper surface of a copper interconnect of the substrate in an integrated system to improve electromigration performance of the copper interconnect is provided. The method includes removing contaminants and metal oxides from the substrate surface in the integrated system, and reconditioning the substrate surface using a reducing environment after removing contaminants and metal oxides in the integrated system.

Abstract: Disclosed in this specification is a method for aligning nanostructures. A substrate is coated with a liquid solution comprising particles. Before the solution is cured, circularly-polarized light is applied to the substrate to induce a magnetic field in the particles. A low strength magnetic field is then applied. The induced magnetic field of the particles aligns with the applied magnetic field. The solution is permitted to cure while simultaneously exposed to both the circularly-polarized light and the applied magnetic field. The resulting composite retains the particle alignment.

Abstract: A spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element and a method of manufacturing the same is disclosed having a free sub-layer structure with enhanced internal stiffness. A first free sub-layer is deposited, the first free sub-layer being made partially of boron (B), annealing is performed of the STTMRAM element at a first temperature after depositing the first free sub-layer to reduce the B content at an interface between the first free sub-layer and the barrier layer, the annealing causing a second free sub-layer to be formed on top of the first free sub-layer and being made partially of B, the amount of B of the second free sub-layer being greater than the amount of B in the first free sub-layer.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a glass substrate for an information recording medium including a step for chemically strengthening the glass substrate by contacting the glass substrate with chemical strengthening processing liquid containing chemical strengthening salt, concentration of Fe and Cr is 500 ppb or less in said chemical strengthening salt, respectively. The concentration may be detected by the use of an ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) emission spectrometry analyzing method or a fluorescent X-ray spectroscopy analyzing method.

Abstract: A method to increase the storage density on magnetic recording media by physically separating the individual bits from each other with a non-magnetic medium (so-called bit patterned media). This allows the bits to be closely packed together without creating magnetic “cross-talk” between adjacent bits. In one embodiment, ferromagnetic particles are submerged in a resin solution, contained in a reservoir. The bottom of the reservoir is made of piezoelectric material.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk having a magnetic layer, a protection layer, and a lubrication layer formed on a substrate in this order, a surface free energy ?S of a surface of the magnetic disk derived by an extended Fowkes equation is greater than 0 and no greater than 24 mN/m. ?Sd (dispersion force component of surface free energy) forming the surface free energy ?S is greater than 0 and no greater than 17 mN/m, ?Sp (dipole component of surface free energy) forming the surface free energy ?S is greater than 0 and no greater than 1 mN/m, and ?Sh (hydrogen bonding force component of surface free energy) forming the surface free energy ?S is greater than 0 and no greater than 6 mN/m.

Abstract: A technique for manufacturing hit pattern media is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for manufacturing bit pattern media. The method may comprise forming an intermediate layer comprising a modified region and a first region adjacent to one another, where the modified region and the first region may have at least one different property; depositing magnetic species on the first region of the intermediate layer to form an active region; and depositing non-ferromagnetic species on the modified region of the intermediate layer to form a separator.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to large-area transparent conductive coatings (TCCs) including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanowire composites, and methods of making the same. The ?dc/?opt ratio of such thin films may be improved via stable chemical doping and/or alloying of CNT-based films. The doping and/or alloying may be implemented in a large area coating system, e.g., on glass and/or other substrates. In certain example embodiments, a CNT film may be deposited and then doped via chemical functionalization and/or alloyed with silver and/or palladium. Both p-type and n-type dopants may be used in different embodiments of this invention. In certain example embodiments, silver and/or other nanowires may be provided, e.g., to further decrease sheet resistance. Certain example embodiments may provide coatings that approach, meet, or exceed 90% visible transmission and 90 ohms/square target metrics.

Abstract: A magnetic oxide-quantum dot nanocomposite and methods of synthesizing it. In one embodiment, the magnetic oxide-quantum dot nanocomposite has at least one magnetic oxide nanoparticle coated with a silica (SiO2) shell and terminated with at least one thiol group (—SH), and at least one CdSe/ZnS quantum dot linked with the at least one SiO2-coated magnetic oxide nanoparticle via the at least one thiol group. In one embodiment, the at least one magnetic oxide nanoparticle comprises at least one iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticle.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element includes a layered structure and a pair of electrodes, the layered structure including a cap layer, a magnetization pinned layer, a magnetization free layer, a spacer layer and a functional layer provided in the magnetization pinned layer, between the magnetization pinned layer and the spacer layer, between the spacer layer and the magnetization free layer, in the magnetization free layer, or between the magnetization free layer and the cap layer and including an oxide, the method including forming a film including a base material of the functional layer, performing an oxidation treatment on the film using a gas containing oxygen in a form of at least one selected from the group consisting of molecule, ion, plasma and radical, and performing a reduction treatment using a reducing gas on the film after the oxidation treatment.

Abstract: A magnetic tunnel junction cell having a free layer, a ferromagnetic pinned layer, and a barrier layer therebetween. The free layer has a central ferromagnetic portion and a stabilizing portion radially proximate the central ferromagnetic portion. The construction can be used for both in-plane magnetic memory cells where the magnetization orientation of the magnetic layer is in the stack film plane and out-of-plane magnetic memory cells where the magnetization orientation of the magnetic layer is out of the stack film plane, e.g., perpendicular to the stack plane.

Abstract: A permanent magnet is provided which has formed a Dy, Tb film on a surface of an iron-boron-rare earth sintered magnet of a predetermined shape, with diffusion thereof into grain boundary phases, having a higher coercive force. The method of manufacturing a permanent magnet includes a film-forming step of evaporating metal evaporating material containing at least one of Dy and Tb and adhering evaporated metal atoms to a surface of the iron-boron-rare earth sintered magnet, and a diffusing step of performing heat treatment to diffuse metal atoms adhered to the surface into grain boundary phases of the sintered magnet. The metal evaporating material contains at least one of Nd and Pr.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium including a suitable lubricating layer with sufficient durability, moisture resistance, and contamination resistance and also maintaining an R/W characteristic. In a typical structure of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording medium 100 including a magnetic recording layer 122, a medium protective layer 126, and a lubricating layer 128 in this order on a base 110 includes: a CF bond density measuring step of measuring a CF bond density of a lubricant; and a lubricating layer forming step of forming a lubricating layer with the lubricant when the measured CF bond density is 2.0×1022 to 2.7×1022 atoms/cm3.

Abstract: A spin toque transfer magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element and a method of manufacturing the same is disclosed having a free sub-layer structure with enhanced internal stiffness. A first free sub-layer is deposited, the first free sub-layer being made partially of boron (B), annealing is performed of the STTMRAM element at a first temperature after depositing the first free sub-layer to reduce the B content at an interface between the first free sub-layer and the barrier layer, the annealing causing a second free sub-layer to be formed on top of the first free sub-layer and being made partially of B, the amount of B of the second free sub-layer being greater than the amount of B in the first free sub-layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium of the present invention includes a magnetic layer forming step in which a drying process is performed. The drying process includes: a pre-heating stage in which a magnetic coating film is heated until the surface temperature of the magnetic coating film stops rising and reaches a substantially constant temperature; a constant rate drying stage that is performed after the pre-heating stage in which the surface temperature of the magnetic coating film is held substantially constant; and a falling rate drying stage that is performed after the constant rate drying stage in which the surface temperature of the magnetic coating film is increased to be higher than the surface temperature during the constant rate drying stage to harden the magnetic coating film. The constant rate drying period in which the constant rate drying stage is performed is 0.2 seconds or more.

Abstract: A method for preparing an electrode, includes the steps of preparing a suspension of a polyoxometalate and a material conferring electronic conductivity and comprising positive charges in a solvent; depositing the suspension obtained in the first step on a carbon medium; drying the suspension deposited in previous step, and applying a binder to the suspension dried in previous step to obtain an electrode.

Abstract: A system and method for corrosion problems in magnetic media resulting from moisture penetrating through the carbon layer into the magnetic layer by diffusion or other methods are overcome by processing the carbon overcoat to stop and/or inhibit the moisture penetration. The process involves removing moisture channels from protective overcoats of thin film magnetic media by irradiating the protective overcoat with ultraviolet (UV) radiation in an inert hydrophobic chemical environment. Afterwards, the thin film magnetic media can be removed into ambient atmosphere where it is coated with a lubricant.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are perovskite ferroelectric thin-film. Also disclosed are methods of controlling the properties of ferroelectric thin films. These films can be used in a variety materials and devices, such as catalysts and storage media, respectively.

Abstract: A method of forming a curved touch surface is disclosed. The method can include depositing and patterning a conductive thin film on a flexible substrate to form at least one touch sensor pattern, while the flexible substrate is in a flat state. According to certain embodiments, the method can include supporting the flexible substrate in the flat state on at least one curved forming substrate having a predetermined curvature; and performing an anneal process, or an anneal-like high-heat process, on the conductive thin film, wherein the anneal process can cause the flexible substrate to conform to the predetermined curvature of the at least one curved forming substrate. According to an embodiment, the curved forming substrate can include a first forming substrate having a first predetermined curvature and a second forming substrate having a second predetermined curvature complementing the first predetermined curvature.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording disk having a single domain exchange-coupled laminated soft magnetic underlayer (SUL) is disclosed. The SUL is a combination synthetic anti-parallel coupled SUL structure, which has the product (Mst) of saturation magnetization and film thickness of the middle ferromagnetic layer less than the sum of the Mst of the bottom and top ferromagnetic layers. Subjected to a post radial field reset process, this SUL provides single domain state. Moreover, both robustness of stray fields and low permeability are obtained while keeping excellent corrosion resistance and cost effective manufacturability.