Abstract: A new high quality, low cost, thin-film magnetic recording member is provided, which has a coercive field strength greater than 650 Oe, a saturation magnetization greater than 10,000 Gauss, and a squareness ratio of 0.9 or larger. The member includes a substrate on which is directly sputter deposited a chromium layer, without the use of an intervening nickel-containing layer between the substrate and the chromium. A nickel-cobalt recording layer is then sputter deposited directly onto the chromium layer. In the preferred mode, the start of that nickel-cobalt deposition begins less than 100 seconds after the chromium deposition is terminated and is followed by the sputtering of a protective layer. Before the chromium deposition, the substrate is preheatead to drive off adsorbed gases, and to establish the proper conditions for the chromium deposition. The substrate is also heated during the time between when the chromium deposition ends and the nickel-cobalt deposition begins.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk composed of a substrate, a magnetic layer, and a protective/lubricative carbon layer is etched and has oxygen embedded into the surface of the disk. This carbon/oxygen surface is extremely smooth, and wears better than prior art disks not having oxygen imbedded in the surface. This altered layer enables a magnetic disk to undergo over twice the number of start/stop cycles without incurring damage from magnetic transducers used to read information from the recording than similar disks prepared without oxygen in the outer layer. A method of plasma etching is used to embed the oxygen into the surface.

Abstract: A method for reducing leakage currents in passivated semiconductor devices includes subjecting the passivation layer to a corona discharge for reducing or eliminating the inversion layer produced by the characteristic passivation layer charge.