Abstract: The thin film disk of the invention includes a thin film pre-seed layer of amorphous or nanocrystalline structure. The pre-seed layer, which may be chromium-tantalum (CrTa) or aluminum-titanium (AlTi) or aluminum-tantalum (AlTa), is deposited prior to a first crystalline layer. Although the pre-seed layer may be amorphous or nanocrystalline, for brevity it will be referred to herein as amorphous which is intended to encompass a nanocrystalline structure. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pre-seed layer is sputtered onto a non-metallic substrate such as glass, followed by a ruthenium-aluminum (RuAl) layer with B2 structure. The use of the pre-seed layer improves grain size and its distribution, in-plane crystallographic orientation, coercivity (Hc) and SNR. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pre-seed layer is followed by the RuAl seed layer, a Cr alloy underlayer, an onset layer and a magnetic layer.

Abstract: The thin film disk of the invention includes a thin film pre-seed layer of amorphous or nanocrystalline structure. The pre-seed layer, which may be CrTa or AlTi or AlTa, is deposited prior to a first crystalline layer. Although the pre-seed layer may be amorphous or nanocrystalline, for brevity it will be referred to herein as amorphous which is intended to encompass a nanocrystalline structure. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pre-seed layer is sputtered onto a nonmetallic substrate such as glass, followed by a ruthenium-aluminum (RuAl) layer with B2 structure. The use of the pre-seed layer improves grain size and its distribution, in-plane crystallographic orientation, coercivity (Hc) and SNR. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pre-seed layer is followed by the RuAl seed layer, a Cr alloy underlayer, an onset layer and a magnetic layer.

Abstract: The thin film disk of the invention includes a thin film pre-seed layer of amorphous or nanocrystalline structure. The pre-seed layer, which may be chromium-tantalum (CrTa) or aluminum-titanium (AlTi) or aluminum-tantalum (AlTa), is deposited prior to a first crystalline layer. Although the pre-seed layer may be amorphous or nanocrystalline, for brevity it will be referred to herein as amorphous which is intended to encompass a nanocrystalline structure. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, pre-seed layer is sputtered onto a nonmetallic substrate such as glass, followed by a ruthenium-aluminum (RuAl) layer with B2 structure. The use of the pre-seed layer improves grain size and its distribution, in-plane crystallographic orientation and coercivity (Hc) and SNR. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pre-seed layer is followed by the RuAl seed layer, a Cr alloy underlayer, an onset layer and a magnetic layer.