Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording system and medium has a multilayered recording layer that includes an exchange-spring structure and a ferromagnetic lateral coupling layer (LCL). The exchange-spring structure is made up of two ferromagnetically exchange-coupled magnetic layers (MAG1 and MAG2), each with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. MAG1 and MAG2 are either in direct contact with one another or have a coupling layer (CL) located between them. The LCL is located in direct contact with MAG2 and mediates intergranular exchange coupling in MAG2. The ferromagnetic alloy in the LCL has significantly greater intergranular exchange coupling than the ferromagnetic alloy in MAG2, which typically will include segregants such as oxides. The LCL is preferably free of oxides or other segregants, which would tend to reduce intergranular exchange coupling in the LCL.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium has an “exchange-spring” type magnetic recording layer (RL) formed of two ferromagnetic layers with substantially similar anisotropy fields that are ferromagnetically exchange-coupled by a nonmagnetic or weakly ferromagnetic coupling layer. Because the write head produces a larger magnetic field and larger field gradient at the upper portion of the RL, while the field strength decreases further inside the RL, the upper ferromagnetic layer can have a high anisotropy field. The high field and field gradient near the top of the RL, where the upper ferromagnetic layer is located, reverses the magnetization of the upper ferromagnetic layer, which then assists in the magnetization reversal of the lower ferromagnetic layer. Because both ferromagnetic layers in this exchange-spring type RL have a high anisotropy field, the thermal stability of the medium is not compromised. The medium shows improved writability, i.e.

Abstract: A laminated perpendicular magnetic recording medium has two recording layers (RL1 and RL2) that are separated and magnetically decoupled by a nonmagnetic spacer layer (SL). The SL has a thickness and composition to assure there is no antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic coupling between RL1 and RL2. Thus in the presence of the write field, RL1 and RL2 respond independently and become oriented with the direction of the write field. Each RL is an “exchange-spring” type magnetic recording layer formed of two ferromagnetic layers (MAG1 and MAG2) that have substantially perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and are ferromagnetically exchange-coupled by a nonmagnetic or weakly ferromagnetic coupling layer (CL). The medium takes advantage of lamination to attain higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) yet has improved writability as a result of each RL being an exchange-spring type RL.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording layer (RL) structure has multiple granular ferromagnetic layers (MAGs) that are separated by ferromagnetic exchange-coupling layers (ECLs) as interlayers between the MAGS. The ECLs provide effective intergranular exchange-coupling in the MAGs. Each MAG is sufficiently thick to support independent recording states that are thermally stable, and does not rely on the overall RL thickness for thermal stability. Each ECL has significant intralayer coupling of its grains. The material of the ECL may be a CoCr alloy, such as a CoCrPtB alloy. The Cr and B in the ECL create sam11 segregation regions or sub-grains in the ECL that are exchange-coupled on a length-scale smaller than the grain size. For each MAG grain, there exist a multitude of magnetic states corresponding to different transition positions in the ECL.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium has a multilayer recording layer (RL) structure that includes a ferromagnetic intergranular exchange enhancement layer for mediating intergranular exchange coupling in the other ferromagnetic layers in the RL structure. The RL structure may be a multilayer of a first ferromagnetic layer (MAG1) of granular polycrystalline Co alloy with Ta-oxide, a second ferromagnetic layer (MAG2) of granular polycrystalline Co alloy with Si-oxide, and an oxide-free CoCr capping layer on top of and in contact with MAG2 for mediating intergranular exchange coupling in MAG1 and MAG2. The RL structure may also be a multilayer of an intergranular exchange enhancement interlayer (IL) in between two ferromagnetic layers, MAG1 and MAG2, each with reduced or no intergranular exchange coupling. Because the IL is in direct contact with both MAG1 and MAG2, it directly mediates intergranular exchange coupling in each of MAG1 and MAG2.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording system and medium has a multilayered recording layer that includes an exchange-spring structure and a ferromagnetic lateral coupling layer (LCL). The exchange-spring structure is made up of two ferromagnetically exchange-coupled magnetic layers (MAG1 and MAG2), each with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. MAG1 and MAG2 are either in direct contact with one another or have a coupling layer (CL) located between them. The LCL is located in direct contact with MAG2 and mediates intergranular exchange coupling in MAG2. The ferromagnetic alloy in the LCL has significantly greater intergranular exchange coupling than the ferromagnetic alloy in MAG2, which typically will include segregants such as oxides. The LCL is preferably free of oxides or other segregants, which would tend to reduce intergranular exchange coupling in the LCL.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a laminated magnetic structure with at least three magnetic layers, wherein the magnetic layers have decreasing intrinsic coercivity H0 with distance from the write head. The write field at the center of each magnetic layer is greater than that layer's H0. The magnetic layers have different compositions and/or thicknesses and thereby different values of H0. The alloys used in the middle and upper magnetic layers are relatively “high-moment” alloys that would not ordinarily be used in magnetic recording media because they have relatively low S0NR, but the overall S0NR of the laminated magnetic structure is improved because of the effect of lamination. The middle and upper magnetic layers can be made substantially thinner, which enables the magnetic layers to be located closer to the write head, thereby exposing each of the magnetic layers to a higher write field.

Abstract: A magnetic recording system uses a magnetic recording medium having a laminated magnetic structure with at least three magnetic layers, wherein the magnetic layers have decreasing intrinsic coercivity H0 with distance from the write head. The write field at the center of each magnetic layer is greater than that layer's H0. The magnetic layers have different compositions and/or thicknesses and thereby different values of H0. The alloys used in the middle and upper magnetic layers are relatively “high-moment” alloys that would not ordinarily be used in magnetic recording media because they have relatively low S0NR, but the overall S0NR of the laminated magnetic structure is improved because of the effect of lamination. The middle and upper magnetic layers can be made substantially thinner, which enables the magnetic layers to be located closer to the write head, thereby exposing each of the magnetic layers to a higher write field.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium for data storage uses a magnetic recording layer having at least two ferromagnetic films exchange coupled together antiferromagnetically across a nonferromagnetic spacer film. In this antiferromagnetically-coupled (AFC) recording layer the magnetic moments of the two ferromagnetic films are oriented antiparallel, and thus the net remanent magnetization-thickness product (Mrt) of the AFC recording layer is the difference in the Mrt values of the two ferromagnetic films. This reduction in Mrt is accomplished without a reduction in thermal stability of the recording medium. The lower ferromagnetic film in the AFC recording layer is a ferromagnetic CoCrFe alloy that does not require a nucleation layer between it and the Cr alloy underlayer. The medium with the CoCrFe alloy as the first or lower ferromagnetic film in the AFC recording layer has reduced intrinsic media noise.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium for data storage uses a magnetic recording layer having at least two ferromagnetic films exchange coupled together antiferromagnetically across a nonferromagnetic spacer film. In this antiferromagnetically-coupled (AFC) recording layer the magnetic moments of the two ferromagnetic films are oriented antiparallel, and thus the net remanent magnetization-thickness product (Mrt) of the AFC recording layer is the difference in the Mrt values of the two ferromagnetic films. This reduction in Mrt is accomplished without a reduction in thermal stability of the recording medium. The lower ferromagnetic film in the AFC recording layer is a ferromagnetic CoCrFe alloy that does not require a nucleation layer between it and the Cr alloy underlayer. The medium with the CoCrFe alloy as the first or lower ferromagnetic film in the AFC recording layer has reduced intrinsic media noise.