Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, which enables efficient and ensured manufacture of a magnetic recording medium having a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern and a satisfactorily flat surface, and a magnetic recording medium are provided. According to the method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, a material whose state is selectable between a flowing state and a cured state is used as a non-magnetic material 36. After the non-magnetic material 36 is formed in a flowing state on a surface of an object to be processed 10 including a recording layer 32 formed in a concavo-convex pattern over a glass substrate 12, then the non-magnetic material 36 is cured.

Abstract: There are provided a next process-determining method capable of determining a next process to be carried out next objectively and at the same time in a short time period, as well as an inspecting method and apparatus which are capable of carrying out a predetermined inspection as to an object to be inspected according to the next process-determining method. A sample object is digitized to sample data formed by digital data. The sample data is compressed into compressed sample data according to a predetermined data format. There is calculated a difference data amount between a data amount of the compressed sample data and a data amount of reference data formed by digitizing and compressing a reference sample object in the same manner as the sample object is processed. Which of a plurality of predetermined numerical ranges the difference data amount belongs to is identified.

Abstract: A production method and a production apparatus for a magnetic recording medium, which enable the efficient production of a discrete type magnetic recording medium, while reliably preventing any deterioration of the partitioned recording elements.

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: There are provided a next process-determining method capable of determining a next process to be carried out next objectively and at the same time in a short time period, as well as an inspecting method and apparatus which are capable of carrying out a predetermined inspection as to an object to be inspected according to the next process-determining method. A sample object is digitized to sample data formed by digital data. The sample data is compressed into compressed sample data according to a predetermined data format. There is calculated a difference data amount between a data amount of the compressed sample data and a data amount of reference data formed by digitizing and compressing a reference sample object in the same manner as the sample object is processed. Which of a plurality of predetermined numerical ranges the difference data amount belongs to is identified.

Abstract: The magnetic recording medium includes a seed layer and a magnetic recording layer formed on the seed layer. The magnetic recording layer is provided with a plurality of laminated layers and a noble metal layer. The laminated layer includes a transition metal element layer and a platinum group element layer. The noble metal layer is interposed between the laminated layers. The magnetic recording medium satisfies the relational expression 0<Y/X?1.0, where X is the thickness of the seed layer, and Y is the sum total of the thickness of the noble metal layer in the magnetic recording layer.

Abstract: In a magnetic recording medium including a servo pattern region having a servo pattern formed of a concave/convex pattern having convex portions and concave portions and a data recording region, the region having a data track pattern, the concave portions are formed in an address pattern region of the servo pattern region such that the maximum lengths, which are located in the respective same radius regions of the respective lengths along the rotating direction of a substrate of the projecting end surfaces of the convex portions constituting the concave/convex pattern are set to first lengths that are double the minimum lengths along the rotating direction of the projecting end surfaces of the convex portions in the respective same radius regions. With this arrangement, the magnetic recording medium can securely read a magnetic signal and has a servo pattern having excellent surface smoothness.

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: A servo pattern is formed in a servo pattern region on at least one surface of a substrate of a magnetic recording medium by a concave/convex pattern including a plurality of convex parts, at least protruding end parts of which are formed of magnetic material, and at least one concave part. The servo pattern region includes an address pattern region and a burst pattern region. The at least one concave part is formed in the servo pattern region so that a larger of an inscribed circle with a largest diameter out of inscribed circles on protruding end surfaces of the convex parts formed in the address pattern region and an inscribed circle with a largest diameter out of inscribed circles on protruding end surfaces of the convex parts formed in the burst pattern region is an inscribed circle with a largest diameter out of inscribed circles on protruding end surfaces of the convex parts formed in the servo pattern region.

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: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium is provided, which can manufacture a magnetic recording medium that includes a recording layer having a concavo-convex pattern and has a sufficiently flat surface. The method includes the steps of: forming an object to be processed including a recording layer having a predetermined concavo-convex pattern formed over a substrate and a first mask layer (temporary underlying material) formed at least on recording elements (convex portions) of the recording layer; depositing a filling material on the object to be processed to fill concave portions; removing a part of the filling material by dry etching to expose at least side faces of the first mask layer; and removing the first mask layer by an etching method in which an etching rate of the first mask layer is higher than that of the filling material to flatten a surface.

Abstract: On an information recording medium, a data track pattern and a servo pattern composed of a concave/convex pattern including a plurality of convex parts are formed on at least one surface side of a substrate and respective concave parts in the concave/convex pattern are filled with non-magnetic material. In the concave/convex pattern that constructs the data track pattern, the respective convex parts are formed concentrically or in a spiral. The concave/convex pattern that constructs the servo pattern is divided into a plurality of ring-shaped regions that are concentric with the data track pattern and has a unit convex part length along a direction of rotation of the substrate set in each ring-shaped region so that a value produced by dividing an average length of the unit convex part length in each ring-shaped region by a distance from a center of the data track pattern to the ring-shaped region decreases from ring-shaped regions in an inner periphery to ring-shaped regions in an outer periphery.

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: On an information recording medium, a data track pattern and a servo pattern composed of a concave/convex pattern including a plurality of convex parts are formed on at least one surface of a substrate and respective concave parts in the concave/convex pattern are filled with non-magnetic material. In the concave/convex pattern that constructs the servo pattern, a unit convex part length along a direction of rotation of the substrate and a unit concave part length along the direction of rotation are set so that the ratio of the unit convex part length to the unit concave part length decreases from an inner periphery to an outer periphery of the information recording medium.

Abstract: On an information recording medium, a data track pattern and a servo pattern composed of a concave/convex pattern including a plurality of convex parts are formed on at least one surface of a substrate and respective concave parts in the concave/convex pattern are filled with non-magnetic material. In the concave/convex pattern that constructs the data track pattern, the respective convex parts are formed concentrically or in a spiral. In the concave/convex pattern that constructs the servo pattern, a unit convex part length along a direction of rotation of the substrate is set so that a value produced by dividing the unit convex part length by a distance from a center of the data track pattern decreases from an inner periphery to an outer periphery.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium in which a recording layer is formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern and recording and reproducing apparatus comprising the magnetic recording medium are disclosed. The magnetic recording medium has a high areal density and high reliability since the occurrence of a crash of a magnetic head is suppressed. The magnetic recording medium comprises a recording layer formed over a substrate in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern to form recording elements as a convex portion of the concavo-convex pattern and a non-magnetic filler element filled in a concave portion between the recording elements. In this configuration, the top surface of the filler element is formed in a shape partially recessed toward the substrate side to form a groove having a width smaller than the width of the concave portion on the surface of the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: In an information recording medium where respective concave parts of a magnetic layer, which is formed on at least one side e of a substrate and in which a predetermined convex/concave pattern has been formed, are filled with non-magnetic material and non-magnetic layers are formed by the non-magnetic material in at least partial regions of respective upper surfaces of respective convex parts of the magnetic layer, the non-magnetic layers are formed so that parts thereof protrude further in a direction in which the convex parts protrude than other parts of the non-magnetic layers.

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.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium is provided, which can efficiently manufacture a magnetic recording medium that includes a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern, has a sufficiently flat surface, and provides good recording and reproduction precision. The method includes: a non-magnetic material filling step of depositing a non-magnetic material over a recording layer formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern over a substrate, thereby filling a concave portion of the concavo-convex pattern with the non-magnetic material; and a flattening step of removing the excess part of the non-magnetic material above the recording layer by ion beam etching to flatten the surfaces of the non-magnetic layer and the recording layer.