Abstract: A compound comprising a backbone with a perfluoropolyether chain. The compound also has one or more cyclophosphazene rings attached to or incorporated into the backbone. The compound further includes at least two functional groups attached to the backbone, attached to the one or more cyclophosphazene rings, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: Aspects include recording media with enhanced areal density through reduction of head media spacing, head keeper spacing, or head to soft underlayer spacing. Such aspects comprise replacing currently non-magnetic components of devices, such as interlayers and overcoats with components and compositions comprising magnetic materials. Other aspects relate to magnetic seed layers deposited within a recording medium. Preferably, these aspects, embodied as methods, systems and/or components thereof reduce effective magnetic spacing without sacrificing physical spacing.

Abstract: A magnetic film or layer includes a non-hexagonal close pack (non-hcp) structure.

Abstract: Aspects include recording media with enhanced areal density through reduction of head media spacing, head keeper spacing, or head to soft underlayer spacing. Such aspects comprise replacing currently non-magnetic components of devices, such as interlayers and overcoats with components and compositions comprising magnetic materials. Other aspects relate to magnetic seed layers deposited within a recording medium. Preferably, these aspects, embodied as methods, systems and/or components thereof reduce effective magnetic spacing without sacrificing physical spacing.

Abstract: A method, in one embodiment, can include pumping a gas into a reservoir that includes a lubricant. In addition, the method can include changing the gas into a supercritical fluid that extracts lubricant molecules from the lubricant resulting in a mixture of the supercritical fluid and the lubricant molecules. Furthermore, the method can include utilizing the mixture to deposit a lubricant molecule onto a magnetic media.

Abstract: Aspects include recording media with enhanced areal density through reduction of head media spacing, head keeper spacing, or head to soft underlayer spacing. Such aspects comprise replacing currently non-magnetic components of devices, such as interlayers and overcoats with components and compositions comprising magnetic materials. Other aspects relate to magnetic seed layers deposited within a recording medium. Preferably, these aspects, embodied as methods, systems and/or components thereof reduce effective magnetic spacing without sacrificing physical spacing.

Abstract: A method of forming a granular magnetic recording medium comprises etching a cap layer disposed on a granular magnetic recording layer. The etching process is carried out at a varying ion energy, including a first ion energy and a lower subsequent second energy. A device including the etched cap layer is also disclosed.

Abstract: A composition comprising a mixture of a low profile lubricant and a compound comprising one or more cyclophosphazene rings. The low profile lubricant comprises a perfluoropolyether backbone, at least one functional group on each end of the backbone and at least one functional group located in a region of the backbone between the ends. Also a device comprising a magnetic disk and the composition on the magnetic disk.

Abstract: Processing equipment for manufacturing magnetic recording medium comprising a chamber, a micro-dispensing valve that can open for a minimum time of less than a few microseconds and can dispense a liquid in an amount of a micro-liter or less each time that the micro-dispensing valve is opened, wherein the liquid comprising a lubricant and a solvent different from the lubricant is dispensed through the micro-dispensing valve.

Abstract: A compound comprising a backbone with a perfluoropolyether chain. The compound also has one or more cyclophosphazene rings attached to or incorporated into the backbone. The compound further includes at least two functional groups attached to the backbone, attached to the one or more cyclophosphazene rings, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for vapor lubrication comprising a chamber, a diffuser plate having an array of orifices, a shutter plate having substantially the same pattern of orifices as that of the diffuser plate, a holder for holding an object to be vapor coated in the chamber, and an actuator to move the shutter plate to align the array of orifices of the shutter plate with the array of orifices of the diffuser plate or at least partially block the array of orifices of the diffuser plate with the diffuser plate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing magnetic recording media, comprising sequential steps of: (a) providing an apparatus for manufacturing the media; (b) supplying the apparatus with at least one substrate for the media; (c) forming a magnetic recording layer on the at least one substrate in a first portion of the apparatus, the magnetic recording layer including a surface; (d) treating the surface of the magnetic recording layer with an ionized oxygen-containing plasma in a second portion of the apparatus to form a plasma oxidized surface layer; and (e) forming a protective overcoat layer on the plasma oxidized surface layer of the magnetic recording layer in a third portion of the apparatus.

Abstract: The embodiments of the invention relate to a lubrication system and a lubrication method, wherein the system contains pre-lubrication chamber for pre-treating a surface of a magnetic recording medium prior to deposition of a lubricant and a deposition chamber having an inlet for deposition of the lubricant on the surface of the magnetic recording medium in the deposition chamber, wherein the lubrication system is a stand alone lubrication system that is seperate from a magnetic layer deposition system for depositing a magnetic layer of the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A vapor source for depositing a thin film of polymeric lubricant on a magnetic or MO recording medium comprises an enclosure comprised of at least one thermally conductive material and including a back wall and a front wall spaced apart by at least one sidewall thereby defining a chamber with an interior space, the front wall comprising a plurality of openings forming a vapor diffusion plate with an array of vapor orifices; at least one liquid reservoir within the interior space for containing a vaporizable liquid material; a heater for heating the interior space and forming a vapor of the liquid material; and a shutter device for controlling flow of vapor through the orifices of the vapor diffusion plate, thereby reducing lubricant consumption.

Abstract: A granular magnetic recording medium comprises a non-magnetic substrate having a surface, a layer stack on the substrate surface, including an outermost granular magnetic recording layer, a cap layer on the granular magnetic recording layer, having a sputter-etched outer surface, and a protective overcoat layer on the sputter-etched outer surface of the cap layer.

Abstract: A recording medium, comprising: (a) a substrate having at least one surface; (b) a stacked plurality of thin film layers on the at least one surface and including at least one magnetic or magneto-optical (MO) recording layer; and (c) a protective overcoat layer on an outer surface of an outermost layer of the layer stack, comprising: (i) a first sub-layer layer (c1) of undoped tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) formed by filtered cathodic arc deposition (FCAD) on the outer surface of the outermost layer of the stacked plurality of thin film layers and having a high mass density of carbon (C) atoms greater than about 2.5 gms/cm3; and (ii) a second sub-layer (c2) of nitrogen-doped tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C:N) formed by FCAD on the undoped ta-C layer and having a high mass density of carbon (C) atoms greater than about 2.0 gms/cm3.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having a substrate, a granular magnetic layer and a magnetic cap layer covered with carbon overcoat, in this order, wherein both the granular magnetic and magnetic cap layers contain magnetic grains and non-magnetic grain boundaries, and further wherein the magnetic cap layer has denser grain boundaries and the magnetic cap layer contains substantially no oxide is disclosed. The magnetic cap layer serves as both magnetic layer and corrosion barrier for lower HMS.

Abstract: Ion beam-deposited, nitrogen-doped C:H films having substantially lower resistivities than undoped ion beam-deposited C:H films and suitable for use as hard, abrasion-resistant overcoat layers for magnetic recording media, such as hard disks, are formed by supplying a mixture of hydrocarbon and nitrogen gases to an ion beam generator. Nitrogen atom content of the films is controlled to within from about 5 to about 25 at. % by appropriate selection of the ratio of hydrocarbon gas flow to nitrogen gas flow. The resultant IBD i-C:HN films exhibit a reduced tendency for charge build-up thereon during hard disk operation by virtue of their lower resistivity vis-à-vis conventional a-C:H materials.

Abstract: A method of depositing a layer of a coating material (e.g., DLC protective overcoats of magnetic and magneto-optical recording media) on a surface of a substrate/workpiece, the layer including relatively thin and relatively thick regions defining a thickness gradient at a boundary therebetween, comprising steps of: (a) providing a filtered cathodic arc deposition (FCAD) process/treatment chamber comprising a FCAD source including means for providing a focused plasma beam containing ions of a coating material and means for scanning the plasma beam over a substrate/workpiece surface; (b) providing the process/treatment chamber with a substrate/workpiece including a surface for deposition thereon; and (c) forming on the surface a layer of coating material including the relatively thin and relatively thick regions defining the thickness gradient at the boundary therebetween by scanning the plasma beam over at least a portion of the surface.

Abstract: A granular longitudinal or perpendicular magnetic recording medium with enhanced corrosion resistance comprises: (a) a non-magnetic substrate having a surface; (b) a layer stack on the substrate surface, including a granular longitudinal or perpendicular magnetic recording layer having a surface distal the substrate surface treated to provide at least one of: (i) a reduction of nano-scale roughness and porosity; (ii) increased compositional homogeneity; (iii) increased microstructural homogeneity; (iv) preferential removal of at least one element; and (v) increased grain boundary coverage by the subsequently deposited protective overcoat layer; and (c) a protective overcoat layer on the treated surface of the granular magnetic recording layer.