Abstract: A film structure includes a conductive oxide thin film formed on a substrate having a silicon (100) face at its surface. The conductive oxide thin film is an epitaxial film composed mainly of strontium ruthenate. At least 80% of the surface of the conductive oxide thin film has a Rz of up to 10 nm. On the conductive oxide thin film having excellent surface flatness and crystallinity, a ferroelectric thin film, typically of lead zirconate titanate, having surface flatness and spontaneous polarization can be formed.

Abstract: A substrate structure includes a single crystal Si substrate and a surface layer, with a buffer layer interleaved therebetween. The buffer layer includes at least one of an R--Zr family oxide thin film composed mainly of a rare earth oxide and/or zirconium oxide, an AMnO.sub.3 thin film composed mainly of rare earth element A, Mn and O and having a hexagonal YMnO.sub.3 type structure, an AlO.sub.x thin film composed mainly of Al and O, and a NaCl type nitride thin film composed mainly of titanium nitride, niobium nitride, tantalum nitride or zirconium nitride. The surface layer is an epitaxial film containing a wurtzite type oxide and/or nitride. The surface layer can serve as a functional film such as a semiconductor film or an underlying film therefor, and the substrate structure is useful for the manufacture of electronic devices.

Abstract: In conjunction with a recording medium for recording and reading information by utilizing the construction of AFM or STM and the polarization reversal of a ferroelectric material as well as an information processing apparatus having the recording medium, an object of the invention is to tailor the medium noiseless and sufficiently reliable to withstand repetitive data rewriting. The recording medium has a ferroelectric layer having unidirectionally oriented crystal axes on a substrate, and the ferroelectric layer has a ten point mean roughness Rz of up to 2 nm across a reference length of 500 nm over at least 80% of its surface. A protective layer or a lubricating layer may be disposed on the surface of the ferroelectric layer.

Abstract: On a single crystal substrate such as silicon, a ferroelectric thin film having a YMnO.sub.3 hexagonal crystal structure, composed mainly of a rare earth element (inclusive of scandium and yttrium), manganese and oxygen, and c-plane oriented parallel to the substrate surface is formed, preferably with an epitaxial oxide film or conductive epitaxial film being interposed therebetween. It is suitable for gate type non-volatile memory devices having MFIS and MFMIS structures.

Abstract: On a single crystal substrate such as silicon, a ferroelectric thin film having a YMnO.sub.3 hexagonal crystal structure, composed mainly of a rare earth element (inclusive of scandium and yttrium), manganese and oxygen, and c-plane oriented parallel to the substrate surface is formed, preferably with an epitaxial oxide film or conductive epitaxial film being interposed therebetween. It is suitable for gate type non-volatile memory devices having MFIS and MFMIS structures.

Abstract: The invention provides an oxide thin film in the form of an epitaxial film of the composition: Zr.sub.1-x R.sub.x O.sub.2-.delta. wherein R is a rare earth metal inclusive of Y, x=0 to 0.75, preferably x=0.20 to 0.50, formed on a surface of a single crystal silicon substrate. A rocking curve of the film has a half-value width of up to 1.50.degree.. The film has a ten point mean roughness Rz of up to 0.60 nm across a reference length of 500 nm. An epitaxial film of the composition ZrO.sub.2 is constructed by unidirectionally oriented crystals. When a functional film is to be formed on the oxide thin film serving as a buffer film, an adequately epitaxially grown functional film of quality is available. Particularly when the single crystal substrate is rotated within its plane, an oxide thin film of uniform high quality having an area as large as 10 cm.sup.2 or more is obtained.

Abstract: The invention provides an oxide thin film in the form of an epitaxial film of the composition: Zr.sub.1-x R.sub.x O.sub.2-.delta. wherein R is a rare earth metal inclusive of Y, x=0 to 0.75, preferably x=0.20 to 0.50, formed on a surface of a single crystal silicon substrate. A rocking curve of the film has a half-value width of up to 1.50.degree.. The film has a ten point mean roughness Rz of up to 0.60 nm across a reference length of 500 nm. An epitaxial film of the composition ZrO.sub.2 is constructed by unidirectionally oriented crystals. When a functional film is to be formed on the oxide thin film serving as a buffer film, an adequately epitaxially grown functional film of quality is available.Particularly when the single crystal substrate is rotated within its plane, an oxide thin film of uniform high quality having an area as large as 10 cm.sup.2 or more is obtained.

Abstract: A multilayer thin film of the invention has an oxide thin film formed on a semiconductor single crystal substrate, and the oxide thin film includes at least one epitaxial thin film composed mainly of zirconium oxide or zirconium oxide stabilized with a rare earth metal element (inclusive of scandium and yttrium). Included is an oriented thin film formed on the oxide thin film from a dielectric material of perovskite or tungsten bronze type with its c-plane unidirectionally oriented parallel to the substrate surface. Consequently, there are provided a perovskite oxide thin film of (001) orientation, a substrate for an electronic device comprising the thin film, and a method for preparing the thin film.

Abstract: A multilayer thin film of the invention has an oxide thin film formed on a semiconductor single crystal substrate, and the oxide thin film includes at least one epitaxial thin film composed mainly of zirconium oxide or zirconium oxide stabilized with a rare earth metal element (inclusive of scandium and yttrium). Included is an oriented thin film formed on the oxide thin film from a dielectric material of perovskite or tungsten bronze type with its c-plane unidirectionally oriented parallel to the substrate surface. Consequently, there are provided a perovskite oxide thin film of (001) orientation, a substrate for an electronic device comprising the thin film, and a method for preparing the thin film.

Abstract: A method of forming servo information in a magnetic disk apparatus of a sector servo system. Servo information is recorded in advance at the beginning of each of the sectors, and includes a DC erase signal, a track address signal and a burst signal. The track address signal indicates on which track of the magnetic disk the sector is located, and is formed by expressing the track address in Gray code and interleaving a dummy code into the Gray code. Servo information is recorded using an NRZI system or an RLL coding method. Servo information in which the dummy code is interleaved is decoded after the dummy code is removed at the time of demodulation.