Abstract: In response to a search start instruction, a read address signal including address sequences for blocks is generated and the read address signal is provided to a block management memory to successively read sequences of erasure count data pieces corresponding to the blocks from the block management memory. Thereafter, when the erasure count data piece read from the block management memory represents an erasure count smaller than a minimum erasure count data piece, the erasure count data piece is imported and retained and outputted as the minimum erasure count data piece. Also, the read address signal is imported and retained and an address indicated by the read address signal is outputted as a minimum erasure count address.

Abstract: There are provided a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium which is excellent in terms of both the recording and reproduction characteristics and the thermal fluctuation characteristics without reducing the density and hardness of the perpendicular magnetic layer; a magnetic recording medium; and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus with which an excellent recording density is achieved, wherein, in the method for manufacturing the magnetic recording medium, at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic layer 4 is formed as a magnetic layer having a granular structure that contains Co as a major component and also contains an oxide of at least one nonmagnetic metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Si, Ta, Al, Ti, W and Mg; a target for forming the perpendicular magnetic layer 4 by the sputtering process is prepared so as to include an oxide of Co and a compound of Co and at least one nonmagnetic metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Si, Ta, Al, Ti, W and Mg, an

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a mold includes: forming a first layer having an affinity to a second polymer on a substrate having an affinity to a first polymer; forming first and second openings in the first layer; filling a resist in the second openings and hardening the resist to obtain a hardened resist; and forming a second layer containing a block copolymer and causing it to self-assemble.

Abstract: A stamper of an embodiment includes: a base portion having a main surface; and a plurality of guides arranged on the main surface in mutually different first and second directions and serving as references of arrangement of a plurality of self-assembled dots. A distance between the guides in a third direction is within a range of an integer m1±0.05 times of a pitch of the plural self-assembled dots. The third direction corresponds to a third vector obtained by combining a first vector corresponding to the arrangement of the guides in the first direction and a second vector corresponding to the arrangement of the guides in the second direction. A distance between the plural guides in the first direction falls out of a range of an integer m2±0.15 times of the pitch of the plural self-assembled dots.

Abstract: A pattern forming method according to an embodiment includes: forming a pattern film on a first substrate, the pattern film having a concave-convex pattern, the pattern film being made of a material containing a first to-be-imprinted agent; forming a material film on a second substrate, the material film containing a second to-be-imprinted agent having a higher etching rate than an etching rate of the first to-be-imprinted agent; transferring the concave-convex pattern of the pattern film onto the material film by applying pressure between the first substrate and the second substrate, with the pattern film being positioned to face the material film, and by curing the second to-be-imprinted agent; detaching the first substrate from the pattern film; and removing the material film by etching, to leave the pattern film on the second substrate.

Abstract: The radiation detector includes: a housing defining an enclosed space filled with a radiation detection gas; first and second electrodes opposing each other across the enclosed space; insulating materials covering surfaces of the first and second electrodes facing the enclosed space; and a voltage source for applying a voltage to the first and second electrodes, whereby a radiation sensor is formed. The radiation sensor is configured so that: in a radiation detection period, a predetermined voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes, and an electric charge is accumulated on the insulating materials by ions and/or electrons generated by ionization of the gas by incident radiation; and in a radiation measurement time, an electric discharge is caused by applying a reverse bias voltage from that applied to the first and second electrodes in the radiation detection period, and a firing voltage is measured.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a thin magnetic film having a negative anisotropy of ?6×106 erg/cm3 or less and including, on at least a nonmagnetic substrate, at least one seed layer made of a metal or metal compound, a ruthenium underlayer for controlling the orientation of an immediately overlying layer, and a magnetic layer having negative anisotropy in the normal line direction perpendicular to a surface of the magnetic layer and mainly containing Co and Ir, wherein the additive element concentration of Ir in the magnetic layer is 10 (inclusive) to 45 (inclusive) at %.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a nonmagnetic interlayer formed on a nonmagnetic substrate, an antiferromagnetic layer having a thickness of 2 to 30 nm, a first nonmagnetic underlayer having a thickness of 0.2 to 5 nm, a first bit patterned ferromagnetic layer, a first bit patterned nonmagnetic layer, and a second bit patterned ferromagnetic layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a thin magnetic film having a negative anisotropy of ?6×106 erg/cm3 or less and including, on at least a nonmagnetic substrate, at least one seed layer made of a metal or metal compound, a ruthenium underlayer for controlling the orientation of an immediately overlying layer, and a magnetic layer having negative anisotropy in the normal line direction perpendicular to a surface of the magnetic layer and mainly containing Co and Ir, wherein the additive element concentration of Ir in the magnetic layer is 10 (inclusive) to 45 (inclusive) at %.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to eliminate deviation in the quality of a chromate film provided on a copper foil for a negative electrode current collector to eliminate fluctuation of electric capacity in a lithium ion secondary battery. To achieve the object, as the copper foil for a negative electrode current collector of a lithium ion secondary battery, a copper foil provided with a chromate film for a negative electrode current collector in which Cr(OH)3 constitutes 85 area % or more of the chromate film is employed. Further, the copper foil provided with a chromate film for a negative electrode current collector according to the present application is preferable to be that the apparent orientation number N of oxygen closest to chrome in the chromate film is 4.5 or more.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a soft magnetic layer, a multilayered underlayer formed on the soft magnetic layer, and a continuous film type magnetic recording layer formed on the multilayered underlayer. The multilayered underlayer includes a first underlayer made of copper and containing crystal grains having a (100)-oriented, face-centered cubic lattice structure, a second underlayer formed on the first underlayer and made of copper and nitrogen, and a third underlayer formed into islands on the second underlayer. The continuous film type magnetic recording layer contains at least one element selected from Fe and Co and at least one element selected from Pt and Pd, has the L10 structure, and mainly contains (001)-oriented magnetic crystal grains.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a patterned medium of an embodiment includes forming a perpendicular magnetic recording layer on a substrate, forming a mask on the perpendicular magnetic recording layer, milling the perpendicular magnetic recording layer, and depositing a protective layer on the perpendicular magnetic recording layer. The perpendicular magnetic recording layer includes a first element selected from Fe and Co and a second element selected from Pt and Pd, and has a hard magnetic alloy material having an L10 or L11 structure. A temperature of the substrate during the milling is higher than or equal to 250° C. and lower than or equal to 500° C.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is disclosed in which, on a non-magnetic substrate 1, at least an orientation control layer that controls orientation of a layer immediately above and a vertical magnetic layer in which an easy axis of magnetization is mainly vertically oriented with respect to the non-magnetic substrate are laminated. The orientation control layer includes an Ru-containing layer containing Ru or Ru alloy, and a diffusion prevention layer provided on the Ru-containing layer on the side of the vertical magnetic layer, is made of a material having a melting point of 1500° C. or higher and 4215° C. or lower and formed by a covalent bond or an ionic bond, and prevents thermal diffusion of Ru atoms of the Ru-containing layer.

Abstract: The radiation detector includes: a housing defining an enclosed space filled with a radiation detection gas; first and second electrodes opposing each other across the enclosed space; insulating materials covering surfaces of the first and second electrodes facing the enclosed space; and a voltage source for applying a voltage to the first and second electrodes, whereby a radiation sensor is formed. The radiation sensor is configured so that: in a radiation detection period, a predetermined voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes, and an electric charge is accumulated on the insulating materials by ions and/or electrons generated by ionization of the gas by incident radiation; and in a radiation measurement time, an electric discharge is caused by applying a reverse bias voltage from that applied to the first and second electrodes in the radiation detection period, and a firing voltage is measured.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an auxiliary layer formed on the substrate, and at least one perpendicular magnetic recording layer formed on the auxiliary layer. The perpendicular magnetic recording layer includes a magnetic dot pattern. The perpendicular magnetic recording layer is made of an alloy material containing one element selected from iron and cobalt, and one element selected from platinum and palladium. This alloy material has the L10 structure, and is (001)-oriented. The auxiliary layer includes a dot-like first region covered with the magnetic dot pattern, and a second region not covered with the magnetic dot pattern. The first region is made of a (100)-oriented nickel oxide. The second region contains nickel used in the first region as a main component.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an auxiliary layer formed on the substrate, and at least one perpendicular magnetic recording layer formed on the auxiliary layer. The perpendicular magnetic recording layer includes a magnetic dot pattern. The perpendicular magnetic recording layer is made of an alloy material containing one element selected from iron and cobalt, and one element selected from platinum and palladium. This alloy material has the L10 structure, and is (001)-oriented. The auxiliary layer includes a dot-like first region covered with the magnetic dot pattern, and a second region not covered with the magnetic dot pattern. The first region is made of one metal selected from (100)-oriented nickel and (100)-oriented iron. The second region contains an oxide of the metal used in the first region.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a copper foil for a negative electrode current collector (specifically, copper foil for a negative electrode current collector of a lithium ion secondary battery) more excellent in discoloration resistance to improve charge/discharge cycle life of a secondary battery. To achieve the object, a method for manufacturing a copper foil for a negative electrode current collector of a secondary battery subjecting the copper foil to rust-proofing treatment, the method characterized in that the copper foil is rust-proofing treated with a chromate-treatment solution having pH in the range from 3.5 to 7.0 to form a chromate film on the surface of the copper foil is employed.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a copper foil excellent in softening resistance performance which reduces decrease in tensile strength after heat treatment at about 350° C. to 400° C. In order to achieve the object, a surface-treated copper foil provided with a rust-proofing treatment layer on both surfaces of a copper foil in which a rust-proofing treatment layer is constituted by zinc, and the either rust-proofing treatment layer is a zinc layer having zinc amount of 20 mg/m2 to 1,000 mg/m2; and the copper foil contains one or two or more of small amount elements selected from carbon, sulfur, chlorine and nitrogen, and a sum amount thereof is 100 ppm or more is adopted.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a copper foil excellent in softening resistance performance which reduces decrease in tensile strength after heat treatment at about 350° C. to 400° C. In order to achieve the object, a surface-treated copper foil provided with a rust-proofing treatment layer on both surfaces of a copper foil in which a rust-proofing treatment layer is constituted by zinc alloy, and the either rust-proofing treatment layer is a zinc alloy layer having zinc amount of 20 mg/m2 to 1,000 mg/m2; and the copper foil contains one or two or more of small amount elements selected from carbon, sulfur, chlorine and nitrogen, and a sum amount thereof is 100 ppm or more is adopted.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium of an embodiment includes: a substrate; a nonmagnetic base layer disposed on the substrate; a perpendicular magnetic recording layer disposed on the nonmagnetic base layer, having a hard magnetic recording layer, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a soft magnetic recording layer, and divided into mutually separated plural regions; and a protective layer disposed on the perpendicular magnetic recording layer. The hard magnetic recording layer has an easy magnetization axis directed to a stack direction of the hard magnetic recording layer. The nonmagnetic intermediate layer contains one of C, ZnO, a carbide of Si, Ti, Ta or W, and a nitride of Si, Ti, Ta or W.