Abstract: A method of adhering a magnetic layer to a plastic substrate of a magnetic recording medium, the method including depositing a SiN-containing layer on the plastic substrate and depositing a magnetic layer on the SiN-containing layer is disclosed. Also disclosed is a disc for a rotating recording system including a plastic substrate, a bilayer including a SiN-containing layer and a metal-containing layer on the plastic substrate, and magnetic media on the bilayer.

Abstract: A recording medium having a substrate, a first soft magnetic underlayer, a second soft magnetic underlayer and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer without a spacer layer between the first and second soft magnetic underlayers is disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having a first magnetic layer, a spacer layer, and a second magnetic layer, in this order, wherein the spacer layer includes a non-magnetic layer and a thickness of the spacer layer is selected to establish anti-ferromagnetic coupling between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and a thickness of both the first and second magnetic layers are less than a critical thickness for formation of stripe domains in the magnetic layers is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of forming a thin film on a substrate/workpiece by sputtering, comprising steps of: (a) providing an apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber including at least one sputtering source and a gas supply means for injecting a gas containing at least one reactive component into said chamber, the gas supply means comprising a plurality of differently-sized outlet orifices adapted for providing substantially the same flow rate of gas from each orifice; (b) providing a substrate/workpiece having at least one surface for formation of a thin film thereon; (c) generating a sputtered particle flux from the at least one sputtering source; (d) injecting the gas containing the at least one reactive component into the chamber via the gas supply means, such that the same gas flow rate is provided at each orifice; and (e) forming a reactively sputtered thin film on the at least one surface of the substrate/workpiece, the reactively sputtered thin film having a substantially uniform content of the at least one reactive

Abstract: A high-saturation magnetization composite soft magnetic film can be deposited by magnetron co-sputtering of two or more kinds of materials using targets which have a lower saturation magnetization than that of a single target, which otherwise will be used to produce the resulting composite soft magnetic film. The composite film has a substantially uniform composition and thickness.

Abstract: Corrosion protection of magnetic recording media is achieved by providing a thin protective barrier layer comprising ruthenium on the magnetic layer. Embodiments include forming a corrosion barrier layer less than 10 Å of elemental ruthenium, a ruthenium oxide, a ruthenium alloy, a layer comprising mixed oxides of ruthenium and an alloying element, a composite of a ruthenium layer and a layer of ruthenium oxide or a composite of a ruthenium alloy layer and a layer of mixed oxides of ruthenium and an alloying element. A carbon containing an overcoat is then formed, as at a thickness of about 10 Å to 50 Å, on the corrosion protective layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compensated crystalline superlattice ferrimagnets. The ferrimagnets include multiple ferromagnetic layers having different magnetic disordering temperatures in combination with antiferromagnetically coupled layers. The crystalline ferromagnetic layers may include metals or alloys such as Ni, Co and Fe. The crystalline antiferromagnetically coupled layers may include metals or alloys such as Rh, Ir, Cr, Ru, Os, W and Mn. The superlattice ferrimagnets may be used in such applications as data storage or memory layers in thermally assisted magnetic recording media.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a multilayer film on a substrate surface comprises a multi-target sputtering source having a planar end face adapted for rotation about a central axis and including at least a pair of independently operable planar magnetron cathodes having sputtering targets composed of different materials, and a substrate mounting means for providing a stationary substrate in spaced-apart, facing relation to the sputtering source. According to the inventive method, the multi-target source is rotated about its central axis while the substrate is maintained stationary, thereby depositing a multi-layer film stack on the substrate. The invention finds particular utility in the formation of superlattice structures usable as recording medium layers in the fabrication of magnetic and magneto-optical (MO) data/information storage and retrieval media.