Abstract: First magnetic crystalline grains are located at spaced positions on the surface of a base layer in a polycrystalline structure film. Magnetic interaction can reliably be prevented between the adjacent first magnetic crystalline grains. An amorphous material or a non-magnetic material covers over the first magnetic crystalline grains. An orientation controlling layer covering over the first magnetic crystalline grains and the amorphous or non-magnetic material on the base layer. Second magnetic crystalline grains are located at spaced locations on the surface of the orientation controlling layer. The orientation controlling layer serves to set the orientation in a predetermined direction in the second magnetic crystalline grains. Since the orientation of the magnetic crystalline grains can be aligned in a predetermined direction, the magnetic field of a sufficient intensity can be leaked out of the polycrystalline structure film.

Abstract: Magnetic crystalline grains are spaced from each other on a base layer a polycrystalline structure. The magnetic crystalline grains are made of an ordered alloy. The ordered alloy serves to ensure the crystalline magnetic anisotropy energy larger than that of Co alloy in the magnetic crystalline grains. Such crystalline magnetic anisotropy energy reaches over 1×106J/m3, for example. A sufficient magnetic crystalline magnetic anisotropy energy serves to reliably maintain the magnetization in finely structured magnetic crystal line grains. The ordered alloy may have the L10 structure, for example. The ordered alloy may include of Fe50Pt50 (atom %), Fe50Pd50 (atom %), Co50Pt50 (atom %), and the like.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes an underlayer formed on a substrate, the underlayer made of Cr based substance, and a magnetic layer formed by epitaxial growth on the underlayer, the magnetic layer made of Co based magnetic substance. The magnetic layer further includes a plurality of layers, each made of Co based alloy including at least one of oxide and nitride as additional content.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprising a non-magnetic base and a non-magnetic underlayer and a magnetic layer formed in that order on the base, the uniderlayer comprises a non-magnetic polycrystalline material and the magnetic layer comprises magnetic CoCr-based alloy particles, wherein the planar size of the magnetic alloy particles is defined by the planar size of the polycrystalline particles composing the underlayer, and is no greater than 20 nm. The magnetic recording medium is useful for HDDs in particular, having a very high magnetic coercive force and being capable of high recording density.

Abstract: A magnetic hard disk having magnetic tracks for storing data which is read or written by a magnetic head floating immediately above the magnetic track while the magnetic hard disk is rotating, and the magnetic head rests on the magnetic hard disk while the magnetic hard disk is not rotating. One aspect of the present invention is that the magnetic hard disk comprises a non-magnetic substrate having a plurality of banks and grooves alternately and concentrically arranged thereon, a magnetic film formed on each of the banks, and non-magnetic material formed on an entire surface of the substrate all over the banks and grooves such that roughness of the upper surface of the non-magnetic material is in a range between 0.5 nm and 3 nm.

Abstract: A magnetic hard disk has magnetic tracks for storing data, which is read or written by a magnetic head floating immediately above the magnetic track while the magnetic hard disk is rotating. The magnetic head rests on the magnetic hard disk while the magnetic hard disk is not rotating. The magnetic hard disk comprises a non-magnetic substrate having a plurality of banks and grooves alternately and concentrically arranged thereon, a magnetic film formed on each of the banks, and a non-magnetic material formed on an entire surface of the substrate all over the banks and grooves such that roughness of the upper surface of the non-magnetic material is in a range between 0.5 nm and 3 nm.

Abstract: A magnetic hard disk having magnetic tracks for storing data which is read or written by a magnetic head floating immediately above the magnetic track while the magnetic hard disk is rotating, and the magnetic head rests on the magnetic hard disk while the magnetic hard disk is not rotating. One aspect of the present invention is that the magnetic hard disk comprises a non-magnetic substrate having a plurality of banks and grooves alternately and concentrically arranged thereon, a magnetic film formed on each of the banks, and non-magnetic material formed on an entire surface of the substrate all over the banks and grooves such that roughness of the upper surface of the non-magnetic material is in a range between 0.5 nm and 3 nm.

Abstract: A method of making a polycrystalline structure film includes causing metallic atoms and molecules of compound to deposit over the surface of a substrate. When the metallic atoms and the molecules of the compound are simultaneously deposited on the substrate, fine and smallest metallic nucleation sites can be formed over the surface of the substrate at a higher density per unit area. Subsequent deposition of metallic atoms enables generation of fine and smallest crystal grains consisting of the metallic atoms.

Abstract: A layered polycrystalline structure includes a seed crystal or Cr layer containing non-magnetic Cr atoms. A non-magnetic crystal layer such as a Co65Cr35 layer is formed on the exposed surface of the seed crystal layer. A magnetic crystal layer such as a co88Pt12 layer is formed on the exposed surface of the non-magnetic crystal layer. Heat treatment induces the diffusion of the Cr atoms along the grain boundaries within the magnetic crystal layer. Walls of a non-magnetic material can be established along the grain boundaries in the magnetic crystal layer. The diffusion of the Cr atoms can sufficiently be suppressed within the lattices of the magnetic crystal grains. Generation of an incomplete non-magnetic region can thus be restrained to the utmost within the magnetic crystal layer. Noise can be reduced in reproduction of a magnetic information data.

Abstract: A higher value of anisotropic magnetic field can be acquired by using a magnetic material where Cr is not added as a material of a magnetic layer on which magnetic data is recorded. A magnetic recording medium (1) can be manufactured through the processes of laminating an underlayer (3) consisting of Cr-based non-magnetic material on a substrate (2) and then laminating, on this underlayer, a magnetic layer (4) consisting of an alloy of at least a kind of non-magnetic material different from Cr and Co.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium using a substrate, such as a glass substrate, and having, in combination, superior magnetic and magnetic recording properties and good adhesion of a magnetic layer to the substrate. The magnetic recording medium has an intermediate layer of chromium between the substrate and an underlayer of Ni-based non-magnetic material on which a magnetic layer of Co-based magnetic alloy is superimposed. A method of producing the magnetic recording medium is also disclosed, wherein each of the layers is formed by a sputtering process at a sufficient pressure to promote granular growth of crystals of the layer.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a substrate of a disk shape having a non-magnetic surface and a through hole formed at the central area of the substrate, and a plurality of dispersed island regions made of magnetic material and directly formed on the non-magnetic surface. The size of each of the island regions is a single magnetic domain size or finer of the magnetic material. The island regions are formed by cohering atoms of a magnetic film formed by sputtering.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a production process for a hard disk magnetic recording medium in which post-annealing is performed after vacuum deposition of a non-magnetic base layer and magnetic metal polycrystalline layer on a substrate without forming a protective layer and without destroying the vacuum.

Abstract: A process of producing a semiconductor device, which includes the steps of: forming an insulating film on a substrate; then etching the insulating film to form an opening through which the substrate is exposed; and then irradiating a metal molecular beam through the opening to deposit a metal film on the substrate, the metal molecular beam being irradiated at an incident angle .theta. within a range of 5 deg .ltoreq..theta..ltoreq.tan.sup.-1 (b/2a) deg ("a" and "b" being the depth and diameter of the opening, respectively) relative to the normal of the substrate.

Abstract: A thermal planarization method of a surface of conducting layers for interconnects in high-density integrated circuits. When a conducting layer having an insulating layer with steps or grooves underneath is heated in a vacuum chamber, the surface is irradiated by an energy beam such as a He-Ne laser and a change of the reflective intensity followed by melting or planarizing of the conducting layer is monitored in real time basis, in situ. The monitored signal is electrically fed back quickly to a temperature controller to control a heating condition so that failure in planarizing a conducting layer due to insufficient heating, or coagulation or even evaporation of the layer due to excessive heating can be avoided.

Abstract: Stable nuclei of a conductive material are formed on a substrate in a first PVD process either by the adsorption of a nucleus forming gas onto the substrane surface and the subsequent deposition of the conductive material, or by the deposition of the conductive material at a partial pressure of a nucleus forming gas of less than 10.sup.-8 Torr, and afterward, a thin and continuous film of the conductive material is formed in a second PVD process. The substrate temperature is controlled so as not to exceed room temperature in the first PVD process, and so as to substantially exceed room temperature in a second PVD process. A thin and continuous film of a conductive material is also obtained by interrupting the deposition of the conductive material on a substrate provided with via-holes of small size by a PVD process, annealing the deposit, and then re-depositing the conductive material to obtain a continuous film.

Abstract: A method of forming a wiring (a multilayer interconnection) of a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: forming a first conductor film on a first insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate; forming a second insulating film having a via-hole on the first conductor film and first insulating film; depositing a second conductor film over the second insulating film and the via-hole; selectively etching the second conductor film to form a groove which surrounds the via-hole at a predetermined distance from the via-hole; irradiating the whole surface with a laser beam to melt and make the portion of the second conductor film from the edge of the via-hole to the groove flow into the via-hole, so that a conductor plug is formed within the via-hole; and forming a third conductor film in contact with the conductor plug. The other portion of the second conductor film prevents the laser beam from penetrating the first conductor film.

Abstract: A process allowing so-called indirect-heating SOI methodology to selectively transform predefined regions of a semiconductor film formed on an insulating substrate into grain-boundary-free regions. In an indirect-heating SOI, a semiconductor film which is recrystallized to be grain-boundary free is heated above its melting point by the heat generated in an energy-absorbing layer formed thereon. In the present invention, a layer having a relatively smaller thermal conductivity, such as SiO.sub.2 layer, is provided between the semiconductor film to be recrystallized and the energy-absorbing layer, both having larger thermal conductivities. The smaller-thermal-conductivity layer, functioning as a thermal-resistance, has selectively increased thickness at the portions thereof corresponding to the predefined regions transformed to be grain-boundary free in the semiconductor film.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having small diameter via-holes, particularly not greater than 0.6 microns, for a multilayer interconnection is produced by a method comprising covering an interlayer film and via-holes with a continuous, first metal film by a CVD process, and heating and melting by an irradiation of an energy beam a second metal film deposited on the first film by a PVD process, together with the first metal film, to fully fill the via-holes with the material from the outside of the holes, to thus form conductive plugs therein. The deposition of the material of the second metal film and the filling of the via-holes may be simultaneously performed by a high temperature sputtering process.

Abstract: A method of improving surface morphology of a laser irradiated surface includes a first step of irradiating a pulse laser beam one or a plurality of times on a region of a conductor layer which is formed on an under layer so as to melt the entire conductor layer, and a second step of irradiating a pulse laser beam on the irradiated region of the conductor layer at least once after the first step with an energy density such that only a surface portion of the conductor layer melts in substantially the entire irradiated region.