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 producing a patterned magnetic nanostructure is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate having a non-magnetic single layer or multi layer film that can be converted into a magnetic state by annealing and/or mixing. The method further includes positioning a mask having a desired pattern and resolution associated with the patterned magnetic nanostructure on or over the film. The method additionally includes subjecting the mask-covered substrate to a beam of radiation (focussed or unfocussed) having sufficient energy to locally anneal and/or mix the non-magnetic or weak-magnetic single-layer or multi layer film. Because of the mask effect, only the desired portions of the non-magnetic film are exposed to the beam of radiation. As such, the desired portions of the non-magnetic film are changed from a non-magnetic to a magnetic state to produce an array of magnetic elements in a non-magnetic matrix. The size of each magnetic element is dependent on the resolution of mask.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved magnetic recording media comprising a substrate, a non-magnetic underlayer, and a cobalt alloy based magnetic layer in a hexagonal closely-packed structure. An optional thin magnetic or non-magnetic intermediate layer is disposed between the magnetic layer and the substrate. The multilayer thin films of this invention are subjected to heat treatment after deposition. The multilayer films of this invention provide significant improvement in magnetic properties for longitudinal magnetic recording.

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 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: A method of analyzing defects in a magnetic thin film is provided. A magnetic field is applied to the magnetic thin film. The magnetization of the magnetic thin film is measured over a range of different field strengths. A value representative of a magnetic hardness coefficient is calculated for the magnetic thin film from the magnetizations measured. The calculated value is compared with a reference value. Defect information is determined in dependence upon the comparison made.