Abstract: A magnetic recording medium that includes a recording layer formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern in which recording elements are formed as convex portions, has high areal density, cannot cause crash of a magnetic head easily, and has high reliability, and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus including that magnetic recording medium are provided. The magnetic recording medium includes: the recording elements formed as the convex portions of the recording layer formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern over a substrate; and a filling material with which a concave portion between the recording elements is filled. The surface roughness of a portion of a surface of the medium above the filling material is larger than that of portions of the surface above the recording elements.

Abstract: A method for forming a concavo-convex pattern that can form a fine and complex concavo-convex pattern such as that corresponding to servo information with high precision, a method for manufacturing a master disk, a method for manufacturing a stamper, and a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium using that method for forming a concavo-convex pattern are provided. A resin layer formed over a resin layer supporting member is processed into an irregular concavo-convex pattern in which a dividing convex portion is formed in a part of concave portions of a predetermined basic concavo-convex pattern and at least some of concave portions are divided as compared with corresponding concave portions of the basic concavo-convex pattern. A recording layer (the resin layer supporting member) is etched based on the resin layer to be processed into a concavo-convex pattern obtained by bringing the irregular concavo-convex pattern close to the basic concavo-convex pattern.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium which has a recording layer of concavo-convex pattern and has high production efficiency, a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus which has the magnetic recording medium, a stamper for manufacturing the magnetic recording medium, a method of manufacturing the stamper, and a method of manufacturing the magnetic recording medium are provided. Part of servo areas of the recording layer are formed in an irregular servo concavo-convex pattern in which at least some of either concave portions or convex portions are divided in a radial direction as compared with those of a basic servo concavo-convex pattern, the basic servo concavo-convex pattern having concave portions consisting of concave unit areas corresponding to cell areas for recording either an information on 0 or an information on 1, and convex portions consisting of convex unit areas corresponding to the other cell areas for recording the other information.

Abstract: A method for producing slush nitrogen comprises the steps of: spraying liquid nitrogen from a nozzle into a vessel kept under a reduced pressure with a nozzle diameter and a spraying pressure being so adjusted as for the liquid nitrogen to maintain the form of droplets, to thereby form liquid nitrogen fine particles having a uniform particle diameter and disperse said particles in the vessel; vaporizing nitrogen from the droplet particles during the stay thereof in the space of the vessel, to solidify liquid nitrogen particles by vaporization latent heat and form fine solid nitrogen particles having a uniform particle diameter; and mixing the solid nitrogen particles with liquid nitrogen.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of an MR thin-film magnetic head with an MR film and lead conductors overlapping each other, includes a step of depositing a conductor layer on at least the magnetoresistive effect film, a step of forming a cap layer patterned on the deposited conductor layer, and a step of dry-etching the deposited conductor layer through a mask of the patterned cap layer using an Ar gas and an O2 gas, an O2 gas or a N2 gas so as to pattern the deposited conductor film to form the lead conductors.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is provided which includes a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern including recording elements formed as convex portions, provides a good flying performance of a magnetic head, and has high reliability. A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus including that magnetic recording medium and a manufacturing method of that magnetic recording medium are also provided. The magnetic recording medium includes: the recording layer formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern over a substrate, the recording elements being formed as convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern; filling elements with which concave portions between the recording elements are filled; a conductive film which has a smaller electric resistivity than the filling elements and is formed over the filling elements; and a protective layer which covers the recording elements and the filling elements and is in contact with an upper surface of the conductive film.

Abstract: The magnetic recording medium includes: recording elements formed as the convex portions of the recording layer formed in the predetermined concavo-convex pattern over a substrate; and a filling elements with which a concave portions between the recording elements are filled. A surface concave portion is formed in a surface of the magnetic recording medium above the recording element. The surface concave portion has a cross-sectional shape of which a portion corresponding to a center of the recording element lying thereunder in a width direction thereof is recessed deepest toward the substrate, and has a width monotonically increasing with increase of a distance from the substrate.

Abstract: To provide a dry etching method and the like that can precisely process regions targeted for etching of objects to be processed using reactive ion etching that uses carbon monoxide gas, to which a nitrogen-containing compound gas is added, as a reactive gas. A material containing silicon and tantalum is used to form a first mask layer 18 that covers a magnetic thin film layer 16.

Abstract: A manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus of a magnetic recording medium are provided, which can efficiently manufacture a magnetic recording medium having good magnetic characteristics while suppressing warpage of the medium, magnetic degradation of divided recording elements, and misalignment of the processed shape of the divided recording elements. In the manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus, both surfaces of an object to be processed 10 are simultaneously processed. As a dry etching technique for a continuous recording layer 20, ion beam etching is employed. A resist layer 26 is removed before dry etching of the continuous recording layer 20.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is provided, which includes a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern to achieve high areal density and can ensure good recording and reproduction characteristics so as to provide high reliability. The magnetic recording medium has a substrate and a recording layer formed in the predetermined concavo-convex pattern over the substrate. The recording layer has a non-recording element and recording elements. The non-recording element is formed as convex portion of the concavo-convex pattern at an outer circumferential end and/or an inner circumferential end. The recording elements are formed as convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern in a region other than a region where the non-recording element is arranged.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is provided in which a magnetic recording layer 5 is provided in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern on a substrate 1A, a concave portion in a concavo-convex pattern is filled with a non-magnetic material, and a non-magnetic layer 16 formed of the non-magnetic material positioned at the bottom surface of the concave portion in the non-magnetic materials is formed on a convex portion of the concavo-convex pattern while surface of the convex portion and the concave portion is substantially flattened, and a thickness of the non-magnetic layer 16 is 1 nm or less.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a magnetic recording medium, and the like are provided, which can suppress misalignment of a processed shape of divided recording elements and magnetic degradation and can efficiently manufacture a magnetic recording medium having good magnetic characteristics. In the manufacturing method, ion beam etching is used as a dry etching technique for a continuous recording layer 20. Before dry etching of the continuous recording layer 20, a resist layer 26 is removed. As the material for a first mask layer covering the continuous recording layer, diamond like carbon is used.

Abstract: Liquid nitrogen is filled in a low temperature vessel; an ejector that sucks liquid nitrogen by blowing a cooling agent (liquid or gas) such as low temperature helium gas or liquid helium of pressure higher than in the space within the vessel is disposed in the vessel; the liquid nitrogen blown with the cooling agent is cooled by the cooling agent to become fine particles of solid nitrogen which fall down; and gas in a space of the vessel is discharged out of the vessel so as to maintain the pressure of the space higher than the atmospheric pressure. A gaseous phase of liquid nitrogen in an adiabatic vessel is depressurized to vaporize nitrogen in a liquid phase so that a temperature of the nitrogen is reached to the triple point of nitrogen by lowering temperature thereby and solid nitrogen is produced by keeping at the triple point, and that the produced solid nitrogen is transformed into slush by stirring the content of the adiabatic vessel.

Abstract: The recording layer (to-be-etched layer), a main mask layer, and a sub mask layer are formed in this order over a substrate, and the sub mask layer is processed into a predetermined concavo-convex pattern. Next, parts of the main mask layer under the concave portions are removed by reactive ion etching using oxygen or ozone as the reactive gas. Parts of the recording layer under the concave portions are also removed by dry etching, whereby the recording layer is shaped into the concavo-convex pattern. The main mask layer is chiefly made of carbon. The sub mask layer is made of a material having an etching rate lower than that of carbon with respect to the reactive ion etching in the step of processing the main mask layer.

Abstract: There is provided a stamper for imprinting on which a concave/convex pattern is formed with a plurality of convex parts of different widths protruding from a surface. In the concave/convex pattern, the respective convex parts are formed so that a distance between a top of a convex part and a reference plane defined in a range between the surface and a rear surface of the stamper is longer for convex parts with wide widths than for convex parts with narrow widths. An imprinting method transfers the concave/convex form of the stamper to a resin layer on the surface of a substrate. A method of manufacturing an information recording medium uses the concave/convex form transferred by the imprinting method to manufacture an information recording medium.

Abstract: An imprinting method which is capable of forming a concave/convex pattern in a short time without causing deformation or incompleteness of the pattern. In the imprinting method, a stamper-pressing step of pressing a stamper against a resin layer formed by applying a resin material to a surface of a substrate, in a state of the resin layer being heated to a predetermined temperature, and a stamper-removing step of removing the stamper from the resin layer while maintaining either of the state of the resin layer being heated and a state of the temperature of the heated resin layer being held, are performed in the mentioned order, whereby shapes of recesses/protrusions of the stamper are transferred to the resin layer to form a concave/convex pattern on the substrate.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern, which can allow a head to have stable flying characteristics. The recording layer is formed in a concavo-convex pattern, and concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern of the recording layer are filled with a non-magnetic material. The relationship of S?3.6×R holds, when R represents a concavo-convex ratio obtained by dividing an area of convex portions in a surface by an area of the concave portions in the surface, and S represents a difference in height between a concavity and a convexity of the surface. In the magnetic recording medium, an arithmetical mean deviation of the assessed profile of the surface is limited to 0.3 nm or more.

Abstract: A rotary encoder has a disc, a pair of photo-interrupters, an adjusting member, and a shifting controller. The disc rotates around a rotating axis and has slits that are formed circumferentially at given intervals. Each of the photo-interrupters has a light-emitting device and a photo-detecting device opposite one another, and generates two signals with a phase difference. Each photo-interrupter is pivotable around a pivot coaxial with the rotating axis, and is arranged along the circumferential direction of the disc so as to position the slits between the light-emitting device and the photo-detector. The adjusting member contacts the pair of photo-interrupters, and is movable along a shifting direction corresponding to a radial direction of the disc, so as to engage the pair of photo-interrupters. The adjusting member adjusts a relative position-relationship between the pair of photo-interrupters associated with the phase difference.

Abstract: A method for filling concave portions of a concavo-convex pattern by which the concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern can be filled to flatten the surface with reliability, and a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium by which a magnetic recording medium having a magnetic recording layer of concavo-convex pattern with a sufficiently flat surface can be manufactured efficiently. A filler for filling the concave portions is deposited over the surface of an object to be processed, the object being provided with a concavo-convex pattern. A cladding is further deposited over the filler. Then, an excess part of the filler and the cladding above the surface of the object are removed for flattening, by using a dry etching method having a lower etching rate to the cladding than to the filler.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes at least a disk substrate 1, a magnetic recording layer 5 formed with a predetermined concavo-convex pattern on the disk substrate 1, and a non-magnetic layer 6 formed in concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern. Convex shapes made of a non-magnetic material are formed on the magnetic recording layer 5 or the non-magnetic layer 6. Each convex shape is formed, for example, into a mountain-like shape whose upper surface width (W1 or W2) is made smaller than width W5 of each convex portion of the magnetic recording layer 5 or width W6 of each concave portion where the non-magnetic layer 6 is formed.