Abstract: A magnetic tunnel junction device comprises a fixed magnetic layer having a first side and a second side, the fixed magnetic layer having a magnetic anisotropy that is out of the film plane of the fixed magnetic layer; a stack of a plurality of bilayers adjacent to the first side of the fixed magnetic layer, each bilayer comprising a first layer comprising at least one of cobalt, iron, a CoFeB alloy, or a CoB alloy and a second layer in contact with the first layer, the second layer comprising palladium or platinum, wherein the plurality of bilayers has a magnetic anisotropy that is out of the film plane of each of the bilayers, wherein the fixed magnetic layer is exchange coupled to the stack of the plurality of bilayers, and a tunnel barrier layer in contact with the second side of the fixed magnetic layer.

Abstract: The design of biodegradable magnetic nanoparticles for use in in-vivo biomedical applications. The particles can include Fe in combination with one or more of Mg, Zn, Si, C, N, and P atoms or other particles. The nanoparticles can be degraded in-vivo after usage. The nanoparticles can cease heating upon reaching a predetermined temperature or other value.

Abstract: Systems and methods that enable direct communications between magnetic tunnel junctions are provided. In one embodiment, a device includes multiple input magnetic tunnel junctions and an output magnetic tunnel junction. The multiple input magnetic tunnel junctions are connected in parallel, and the output magnetic tunnel junction is connected in series to the input magnetic tunnel junctions. In another embodiment, a device includes a first magnetic tunnel junction, a second magnetic tunnel junction, and a nano-magnetic channel. Each of the first and the second magnetic tunnel junctions has a free layer, a nonmagnetic layer, and a fixed layer. The nano-magnetic channel connects the free layer of the first magnetic tunnel junction to the free layer of the second magnetic tunnel junction.

Abstract: Nanoparticle deposition systems including one or more of: a hollow target of a material; at least one rotating magnet providing a magnetic field that controls movement of ions and crystallization of nanoparticles from released atoms; a nanoparticle collection device that collects crystallized nanoparticles on a substrate, wherein relative motion between the substrate and at least a target continuously expose new surface areas of the substrate to the crystallized nanoparticles; a hollow anode with a target at least partially inside the hollow anode; or a first nanoparticle source providing first nanoparticles of a first material and a second nanoparticle source providing second nanoparticles of a second material.

Abstract: A magnetic tunnel junction device comprises a fixed magnetic layer having a first side and a second side, the fixed magnetic layer having a magnetic anisotropy that is out of the film plane of the fixed magnetic layer; a stack of a plurality of bilayers adjacent to the first side of the fixed magnetic layer, each bilayer comprising a first layer comprising at least one of cobalt, iron, a CoFeB alloy, or a CoB alloy and a second layer in contact with the first layer, the second layer comprising palladium or platinum, wherein the plurality of bilayers has a magnetic anisotropy that is out of the film plane of each of the bilayers, wherein the fixed magnetic layer is exchange coupled to the stack of the plurality of bilayers, and a tunnel barrier layer in contact with the second side of the fixed magnetic layer.

Abstract: A device includes a sensor surface and a pair of electrodes. The sensor surface includes a first conductive layer separated from a second conductive layer by an intermediary layer, a magnetization direction of the first conductive layer and a magnetization direction of the second conductive layer having a ground state orientation of approximately 0 degrees. An electrical resistance between the pair of electrodes is determined by a magnetic field proximate the sensor surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a thin film magnetic recording media, the method comprises generating magnetic nanoclusters from a target of magnetic material, crystallizing the magnetic nanoclusters, and depositing the magnetic nanoclusters onto a substrate to form a thin film of magnetic particles thereon. The magnetic nanoclusters are deposited onto the substrate after crystallized and therefore after the deposition. The apparatus comprises a first chamber, a second chamber connected to the first chamber, and a third chamber connected to the second chamber. The first chamber has a source for generating magnetic nanoclusters. The second chamber is to receive the magnetic nanoclusters and crystallize the magnetic nanoclusters. The third chamber is to receive the crystallized magnetic nanoclusters from the second chamber and deposit the crystallized magnetic nanoclusters onto the substrate positioned therein.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a thin film magnetic recording media, the method comprises generating magnetic nanoclusters from a target of magnetic material, crystallizing the magnetic nanoclusters, and depositing the magnetic nanoclusters onto a substrate to form a thin film of magnetic particles thereon. The magnetic nanoclusters are deposited onto the substrate after crystallized and therefore after the deposition. The apparatus comprises a first chamber, a second chamber connected to the first chamber, and a third chamber connected to the second chamber. The first chamber has a source for generating magnetic nanoclusters. The second chamber is to receive the magnetic nanoclusters and crystallize the magnetic nanocluster. The third chamber is to receive the crystallized magnetic nanoclusters from the second chamber and deposit the crystallized magnetic nanoclusters onto the substrate positioned therein.

Abstract: A digital storage medium for use in data storage devices has two magnetic layers where the respective easy axes of the magnetic moments in the two layers are perpendicular to each other. Exchange coupling of the magnetic moments in the magnetic layers produces a resultant magnetic moment that is tilted out of the plane of the digital storage medium. The resultant magnetic moment of the medium allows the use of either a ring head, a single pole head, or a head that generates a field tilted at an angle for write operations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a thin film magnetic recording media, the method comprises generating magnetic nanoclusters from a target of magnetic material, crystallizing the magnetic nanoclusters, and depositing the magnetic nanoclusters onto a substrate to form a thin film of magnetic particles thereon. The magnetic nanoclusters are deposited onto the substrate after crystallized and therefore after the deposition. The apparatus comprises a first chamber, a second chamber connected to the first chamber, and a third chamber connected to the second chamber. The first chamber has a source for generating magnetic nanoclusters. The second chamber is to receive the magnetic nanoclusters and crystallize the magnetic nanocluster. The third chamber is to receive the crystallized magnetic nanoclusters from the second chamber and deposit the crystallized magnetic nanoclusters onto the substrate positioned therein.

Abstract: A method of producing a thin film magnetic device comprising forming a thin film of magnetic material over a surface of a substrate having a controlled surface topography, wherein the surface of the substrate is first subject to isotropic etching so as to increase the capacity of the substrate surface to induce a high orientation ratio in a thin film of magnetic material formed over the substrate surface without a reduction in the smoothness of the substrate; and a method of modifying a thin film magnetic device comprising a thin film of a magnetic material, the method comprising the step of subjecting a surface of the thin film magnetic device having a controlled surface topology to isotropic etching so as to increase the orientation ratio of the thin film magnetic device without reducing the smoothness of the surface of the thin film magnetic device.

Abstract: Methods are provided for producing L10 ordered FePt or FePtX (where X=C, Cr, Zr, Cu, Ta, SiO2, MgO, Al2O3, B2O3 or B) thin film with (001) orientation for use in perpendicular magnetic recording media. The methods use strain-induced phase transformation from FCC to FCT. A chromium alloy (CrA) underlayer, where A=Ru, Mo, Mn, W, Ti, Zr or V with (002) preferred orientation is deposited first on any of a variety of disk substrates such as NiP-coated AlMg, glass, glass-ceramic, or glassy carbon. A seed layer such as Ta, NiAl, or C is preferably pre-deposited on the disk substrate. An intermediate layer is deposited on the CrA underlayer to decrease the thickness of an initial growth layer before a FePt or a FePtX film with a (001) texture is deposited on the intermediate layer. These methods produce thin films particularly suitable for recording media with ultrahigh recording densities.

Abstract: A configuration for laminated antiferromagnetically coupled magnetic recording layers for a magnetic recording medium is described. For this purpose, a stabilization layer (top layer) is put on top of the main magnetic recording layer (middle layer) and another stabilization layer (bottom layer) is put under the main magnetic recording layer. The top layer, middle layer and bottom layer are antiferromagnetically coupled. This configuration can double the antiferromagnetic coupling on the recording layer and thus increase the thermal stability. This configuration can also further reduce the remnant magnetization thickness product (Mr&dgr;), which is critical for low noise media. A traditional or new intermediate layer, underlayer and seedlayer can be used under magnetic layers of the present invention. Further, a tradition or new overcoat and lubricant can be used over the magnetic layers of the present invention.

Abstract: An oblique sputtering deposition apparatus is provided for preparing a thin film. A collimator having angled passages for filtering out particles from stray directions is placed between the substrate and the incident particle flux. The angle of the passages can be adjusted from about 0 to about 90° with respect to the substrate normal according to requirements. The oblique incidence of particle flux brings forms a column structure which is also angled.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a high-density magnetic data-storage medium, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a plurality of nanodots of non-magnetic material in a regular array on a surface of a substrate, said array being notionally dividable into a plurality of clusters that each comprise a plurality of nanodots, wherein each nanodot of a said cluster overlaps with neighbouring nanodots of that cluster to form a well between them; (b) depositing magnetic material onto said substrate to at least partly fill the wells of each cluster; and (c) removing material to reveal a regular array of wells filled with magnetic material, each of said wells being separated from neighbouring wells by non-magnetic material.

Abstract: A method of producing a magnetic recording medium comprising the steps of providing a substrate having a layer of a non-magnetic material that can be converted into a magnetic state by annealing, and then converting selected portions of the non-magnetic layer to a magnetic state by subjecting them to annealing by directing a focussed beam of radiation onto the substrate to form a patterned magnetic layer comprising an ordered array of magnetic regions separated by non-magnetic regions.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a sputtering device for depositing multi-layer films on a substrate, the sputtering device comprising at least one planar-magnetron-sputtering-cathode and at least one facing-targets-sputtering-cathode housed in a single vacuum chamber, and adapted such that each planar-magnetron-sputtering-cathode and facing-targets-sputtering-cathode can be selectively positioned for sputtering deposition onto a substrate.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a high-density magnetic data-storage medium, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a plurality of nanodots of non-magnetic material in a regular array on a surface of a substrate, said array being notionally dividable into a plurality of clusters that each comprise a plurality of nanodots, wherein each nanodot of a said cluster overlaps with neighbouring nanodots of that cluster to form a well between them; (b) depositing magnetic material onto said substrate to at least partly fill the wells of each cluster; and (c) removing material to reveal a regular array of wells filled with magnetic material, each of said wells being separated from neighbouring wells by non-magnetic material.

Abstract: A method of forming at least one layer on a substrate surface by vacuum deposition of particles onto the substrate surface, the method comprising the step of moving at least part of the substrate at high speed during vacuum deposition in a first direction parallel to the substrate surface. The method reduces the amount of macroparticles in a layer or layers deposited on the substrate, and controls the microstructure and crystallographic structure of the deposited layer or layers. Also disclosed are devices for performing the method, and resulting products, for example a hard disk thin film media.

Abstract: A configuration for laminated antiferromagnetically coupled magnetic recording layers for a magnetic recording medium is described. For this purpose, a stabilization layer (top layer) is put on top of the main magnetic recording layer (middle layer) and another stabilization layer (bottom layer) is put under the main magnetic recording layer. The top layer, middle layer and bottom layer are antiferromagnetically coupled. This configuration can double the antiferromagnetic coupling on the recording layer and thus increase the thermal stability. This configuration can also further reduce the remnant magnetization thickness product (Mr&dgr;), which is critical for low noise media. A traditional or new intermediate layer, underlayer and seedlayer can be used under magnetic layers of the present invention. Further, a tradition or new overcoat and lubricant can be used over the magnetic layers of the present invention.