Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium including a substrate and a magnetic recording layer formed on the substrate and including a plurality of projections is obtained. The array of the plurality of projections includes a plurality of domains in which the projections are regularly arranged, and a boundary region between the domains, in which the projections are irregularly arranged. The boundary region is formed along a perpendicular bisector of a line connecting the barycenters of adjacent projections.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a memory system comprises a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a memory and a controller. The memory stores a management table including a plurality of parameters for managing the non-volatile semiconductor memory. The controller is configured to control the operation of the non-volatile semiconductor memory based on a first value of the parameters contained in the management table. The controller obtains a second value corresponding to the parameters from an operation log of the non-volatile semiconductor memory, compares the second value of the parameters with the first value, calculates the difference between the second value of the parameters and the first value when they are different from each other, calculates a correction value for correcting the first value when the difference is greater than a third value, and updates the first value of the management table based on the correction value.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a memory system comprises a first nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a temperature sensor and a controller. The first nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes the first and second semiconductor chips. The temperature sensor detects a temperature of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory. The controller acquires the wear level per block of the first and second semiconductor chips based on the temperature of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory and the frequency of use of the first nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and sets, based on the wear level, an examination frequency for defining a cycle of examination of quality of data per block of the first and second semiconductor chips.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium including a substrate and a magnetic recording layer formed on the substrate and including a plurality of projections is obtained. The array of the plurality of projections includes a plurality of domains in which the projections are regularly arranged, and a boundary region between the domains, in which the projections are irregularly arranged. The boundary region is formed along a perpendicular bisector of a line connecting the barycenters of adjacent projections.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording layer is coated with a fine particle coating solution containing fine particles coated with a protective layer containing a first additive including a straight-chain structure for increasing wettability to the magnetic recording layer, and a carboxy group or the like, and a second additive including a carboxy group or the like and a polymerizable functional group, each fine particle having, on at least a surface thereof, a material selected from Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Y, Zr, Sn, Mo, Ta, W, and oxides thereof, thereby forming a fine particle monolayer, and heat or light energy is applied, thereby curing the protective layer and forming a periodic pattern.

Abstract: A patterning method includes steps of forming a first copolymer layer comprising a first diblock copolymer which has portions which are phase incompatible. The first copolymer layer is annealed to form a first phase pattern including a first phase dispersed in a second surrounding phase. The first copolymer is then etched forming a first topographic pattern that corresponds to the first phase pattern. A second copolymer layer of a second diblock copolymer is then formed over the first topographic pattern, and then annealed to generate a second phase pattern offset from the first topographic pattern. Etching is used to form a second topographic pattern corresponding to the second phase pattern. The first and second topographic patterns are then transferred to the substrate. The patterning method can be used, for example, to form patterned recording layers for magnetic storage devices.

Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a metal peelable layer and a mask layer are formed on a magnetic recording layer, then, a projections pattern is formed on the mask layer, the projections pattern is transferred to the metal peelable layer and the magnetic recording layer in this order, and then the metal peelable layer is dissolved and removed by a solvent. The metal peelable layer is constituted of any of aluminum and an aluminum compound. An alkali solution is used as the solvent.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a pattern formation method includes steps of forming a layer to be processed on a substrate, forming a metal microparticle layer by coating the layer to be processed with a metal microparticle coating solution containing metal microparticles and a solvent, reducing a protective group amount around the metal microparticles by first etching, forming a protective layer by exposing the substrate to a gas containing C and F and adsorbing the gas around the metal microparticles to obtain a projection pattern, and transferring the projection pattern to the layer to be processed by second etching.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an underlayer formed on the substrate and a magnetic recording layer formed on the underlayer and having an easy axis in a direction perpendicular to a film surface. The underlayer includes a plurality of projecting portions arranged at a distance of 1 nm to 20 nm from one another. The magnetic recording layer is an amorphous magnetic recording layer including a plurality of magnetic grains each formed to expand towards a top end thereof from a surface of a respective projecting portion of the underlayer, at least those of the magnetic grains located on a respective projecting portion side being separated from each other.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium is provided, which includes a non-magnetic granular underlayer formed on a substrate and containing metal grains of a first metal and a grain boundary layer surrounding the metal grains, each metal grain including a projection projecting from the boundary layer and a bottom portion embedded in the grain boundary layer, and a contact angle of the edge of the projection to the surface of the grain boundary layer being 45° to 85°, a non-magnetic intermediate layer formed on a surface of each projection and a magnetic recording layer having a projection pattern formed on the basis of a pattern of the projections in the non-magnetic intermediate layer via the non-magnetic intermediate layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium used in a heat assisted magnetic recording system includes a magnetic recording layer and a metal particle layer in which metal particles are arranged in a dispersed manner on a substrate. In the metal particle layer, percentage content of the metal particles in a second region positioned at an outer periphery side of a first region is higher than that of the first region in a surface direction of the substrate.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a magnetic recording medium includes follows: forming a magnetic recording layer on a substrate; forming an under layer and a metal release layer that forms an alloy with the under layer on the magnetic recording layer in this order and forming an alloyed release layer by alloying the under layer and the metal release layer; forming a mask layer on the alloyed release layer; forming a resist layer on the mask layer; providing a protrusion-recess pattern by patterning the resist layer; transferring the protrusion-recess pattern to the mask layer; transferring the protrusion-recess pattern to the alloyed release layer; transferring the protrusion-recess pattern to the magnetic recording layer; dissolving the alloyed release layer by using a stripping solution and removing a layer formed on the alloyed release layer from an upper side of the magnetic recording layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a pattern formation method includes forming a surface treatment polymer film on a substrate, applying a solution containing a monomer or oligomer of a surface treatment polymer material to a surface of the surface treatment polymer film, forming a self-assembled layer by coating the surface treatment polymer film with a coating solution containing a block copolymer having at least two types of polymer chains, and forming a microphase-separated structure in the self-assembled layer by annealing, and optionally removing one type of a polymer layer from the microphase-separated structure, thereby forming convex patterns by a remaining polymer layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic recording medium which includes a base, a magnetic recording layer having convex-shaped magnetic layers, which is formed on the base, and a protective film formed on the magnetic recording layer. There are gaps in a region surrounded by the protective film, the surface of the base, and each side wall of each magnetic layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a photoelectric conversion layer containing a semiconductor and plural metal-containing minute structures dispersed therein. The minute structures are minute structures (A) comprising metal material (?) or otherwise minute structures (B) comprising metal material (?) and material (?) selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride and oxynitride of substances and the semiconductor. In the minute structures (B), the material (?) is on the surface of the metal material (?). Each of the minute structures has an equivalent circle diameter of 1 nm to 10 nm inclusive on the basis of the projected area when observed from a particular direction. The closest distance between adjacent two of the minute structures is 3 nm to 50 nm inclusive. The present disclosure also provides applications of the photoelectric conversion layer to a solar cell, a photodiode and an image sensor.

Abstract: A patterning method includes steps of forming a first copolymer layer comprising a first diblock copolymer which has portions which are phase incompatible. The first copolymer layer is annealed to form a first phase pattern including a first phase dispersed in a second surrounding phase. The first copolymer is then etched forming a first topographic pattern that corresponds to the first phase pattern. A second copolymer layer of a second diblock copolymer is then formed over the first topographic pattern, and then annealed to generate a second phase pattern offset from the first topographic pattern. Etching is used to form a second topographic pattern corresponding to the second phase pattern. The first and second topographic patterns are then transferred to the substrate. The patterning method can be used, for example, to form patterned recording layers for magnetic storage devices.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a pattern formation method including forming a target layer to be processed on a substrate, adding a second dispersion containing a polymer material including a polymer chain having a base metal at a terminal end and a second solvent to a first dispersion containing noble-metal microparticles and a first solvent, thereby preparing a noble-metal microparticle layer coating solution in which microparticles covered with the polymer material are dispersed, arranging the noble-metal microparticles covered with the polymer material on the target layer by using the noble-metal microparticle layer coating solution, and transferring a projections pattern of the noble-metal microparticles covered with the polymer material to the target layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a pattern formation method including coating a substrate or mask layer with a fine particle coating solution containing fine particles including a protective group having a close surface polarity and containing, on at least surfaces thereof, a material selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Y, Zr, Sn, Mo, Ta, W, Au, Ag, Pd, Cu, Pt and oxides thereof, a viscosity modifier, and a solvent for adjusting mixing of the viscosity modifier and the fine particles having the protective group to form a fine particle layer on the substrate or mask layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording layer is coated with a fine particle coating solution containing fine particles coated with a protective layer containing a first additive including a straight-chain structure for increasing wettability to the magnetic recording layer, and a carboxy group or the like, and a second additive including a carboxy group or the like and a polymerizable functional group, each fine particle having, on at least a surface thereof, a material selected from Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Y, Zr, Sn, Mo, Ta, W, and oxides thereof, thereby forming a fine particle monolayer, and heat or light energy is applied, thereby curing the protective layer and forming a periodic pattern.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a pattern formation method including coating a substrate or mask layer with a fine particle coating solution containing fine particles including a protective group having a close surface polarity and containing, on at least surfaces thereof, a material selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Y, Zr, Sn, Mo, Ta, W, and oxides thereof, a viscosity modifier, and a solvent for adjusting mixing of the viscosity modifier and the fine particles having the protective group, thereby forming a fine particle layer on the substrate or mask layer.