Abstract: A magnetic recording medium with tuned exchange coupling comprises: (a) a non-magnetic substrate having a surface; and (b) a stack of thin film layers on the substrate surface, including: (i) a compositionally segregated, exchange decoupled magnetic layer with substantially non-magnetic grain boundaries; and (ii) an exchange coupled magnetic layer adjacent to and in direct contact with the exchange decoupled magnetic layer.

Abstract: A method for treating/processing substrates/workpieces in a multi-chamber treatment/processing apparatus, comprising: providing a multi-chamber treatment/processing apparatus comprising at least a pair of operatively interconnected upstream and downstream treatment/processing chambers; providing each of the chambers with at least one substrate/workpiece; treating/processing the at least one substrate/workpiece positioned in each of the chambers; evacuating process gas from each of the chambers during or upon completion of the treating/processing of the at least one substrate/workpiece positioned therein; removing the at least one substrate/workpiece from the downstream treatment/processing chamber and initiating transport of the at least one substrate/workpiece from the upstream treatment/processing chamber to the downstream treatment/processing chamber, comprising initiating a flow of the process gas to the evacuated downstream treatment/processing chamber prior to completion of transport of the substrate/wo

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprises: (a) a non-magnetic substrate having a surface; and (b) a stack of thin film layers on the substrate surface, including a layer of a magnetic alloy material with a stabilized hexagonal close-packed (“hcp”) crystal structure, comprising: (i) a major amount of a ferromagnetic element with a first hcp crystal structure having a first c/a ratio, where “c” is a lattice parameter of the unique symmetry axis of the hcp structure along which a preferred direction of magnetization lies and “a” is a lattice parameter along a direction perpendicular to the c axis; (ii) a minor amount of a non-magnetic element with a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure; and (iii) a minor amount of at least one hcp-stabilizing element.

Abstract: A method of forming a uniform thickness layer of a selected material on a surface of a substrate comprises steps of: (a) providing a multi-stage cathode sputtering apparatus comprising a group of spaced-apart cathode/target assemblies and a means for transporting at least one substrate/workpiece past each cathode/target assembly, each cathode/target assembly comprising a sputtering surface oriented substantially parallel to the first surface of the substrate during transport past the group of cathode/target assemblies, the group of cathode/target assemblies adapted for providing different angular sputtered film thickness profiles; and (b) transporting the substrate past each cathode/target assembly while providing different sputtered film thickness profiles from at least some of the cathode/target assemblies, such that a plurality of sub-layers is deposited on the surface of the substrate/workpiece which collectively form a uniform thickness layer of the selected material.

Abstract: A granular perpendicular magnetic recording medium, comprising: (a) a non-magnetic substrate having a surface; and (b) a layer stack on the substrate surface, the layer stack including a granular perpendicular magnetic recording layer formed by: (1) reactively sputtering a target comprised of a magnetic alloy in an atmosphere containing at least one ionized oxygen species derived from a source gas comprised of a compound of oxygen and at least one other non-metallic element; and (2) oxidizing an exposed upper surface of the granular perpendicular magnetic recording layer by generating a plasma containing at least one ionized oxygen species derived from a source gas comprised of a compound of oxygen and at least one other non-metallic element and treating the exposed upper surface of the granular perpendicular magnetic recording layer with the plasma.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having a substrate and a SiO2-containing magnetic layer comprising grains is disclosed. The magnetic layer has substantial SiO2 between the grains. This condition is achieved by sputter depositing the magnetic layer in a chamber containing a gas under vacuum. The gas contains substantially no oxygen. Such a gas is one into which no oxygen is intentionally introduced to create an oxygen-containing gas mixture but may contain a trace amount of oxygen molecules in an amount that are present in air under a similar vacuum as that of the gas in the chamber.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, comprises steps of: (a) providing a substrate of an amorphous thermoplastic polymer material having softening and glass transition temperatures as low as about 95° C.; and (b) forming at least one stack of thin film layers atop at least one surface of the substrate, the at least one layer stack including at least one granular magnetic recording layer of perpendicular type, wherein oxides and/or nitrides provide physical de-coupling of adjacent magnetic grains; and wherein each of the thin film layers is formed by depositing at a substrate temperature not greater than about 70° C., and the coercivity (Hc) of the resultant perpendicular magnetic recording medium is at least about 4,000 Oe.

Abstract: The Silt terrace erosion prevention inventions called STEP, is directed to a low cost process to reverse soil erosion in a farm field by retaining the silt in a natural watercourse to form grassy terraces behind a series of dam structures built with dirt-filled, non-biodegradable, plastic sacks arranged across the bed of the gully in a “V” shape pointing upstream.