Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is provided which has good recording/reproducing characteristics with a recording layer divided in a number of recording elements by a predetermined concavo-convex pattern, and a manufacturing method that enables efficient manufacture of such a magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a soft magnetic layer formed over the substrate, a recording layer formed over the soft magnetic layer such as to have magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to surface, and being divided in a number of recording elements by a predetermined concavo-convex pattern, and a non-magnetic intermediate layer formed between the recording layer and the soft magnetic layer. The recording elements are formed to have a predetermined track shape in a data region.

Abstract: The burst pattern shape in a discrete medium is set to a shape (truncated quadrangular pyramid shape) having substantially trapezoidal shapes in a track width direction and in a track circumferential direction, respectively, and a predetermined relationship is satisfied among W1, W2, Tp, and Wr where W1 represents an upper side corresponding to the surface of a convex magnetic recording layer and W2 a lower side corresponding to the lower surface of the convex magnetic recording layer in the trapezoidal shape in the track width direction, Tp represents a data track pitch of a data information recording portion, and Wr represents a read width of a magnetic head. Therefore, the burst pattern shape makes it possible to largely reduce a production load in processing and still to obtain an accurate position error signal.

Abstract: An imprinting method which is capable of forming a concave/convex pattern in a short time without causing deformation or incompleteness of the pattern. In the imprinting method, a stamper-pressing step of pressing a stamper against a resin layer formed by applying a resin material to a surface of a substrate, in a state of the resin layer being heated to a predetermined temperature, and a stamper-removing step of removing the stamper from the resin layer while maintaining either of the state of the resin layer being heated and a state of the temperature of the heated resin layer being held, are performed in the mentioned order, whereby shapes of recesses/protrusions of the stamper are transferred to the resin layer to form a concave/convex pattern on the substrate.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a write/read head supporting mechanism for a magnetic disk system or optical disk system having a microactuator for effecting a micro-displacement of a slider, wherein any electrostatic breakdown of an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module is prevented without detriment to the displacement capability of the microactuator. The write/read head supporting mechanism of the invention comprises a slider 2 provided with an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module, and a suspension 3. The slider 2 is supported on the suspension 3 by way of a microactuator 4 for displacing the slider 2. A ground region that the suspension 3 has is electrically connected to the slider 2 by way of an electrical connecting member 8 movable and/or deformable in the displacement direction of the slider 2 by the microactuator 4.

Abstract: The magnetic recording and reproducing device has a magnetic recording medium, a recording head for writing magnetic data on the magnetic recording medium, and a reproducing head for reading magnetic data from the magnetic recording medium. In the magnetic recording medium, each track is formed by a convex portion with a predetermined track width, and a plurality of the tracks are arranged in parallel at intervals of a predetermined track gap. The relationship represented by the following formula (I) is satisfied: {Tw+(2×Tg)}/1.2?MWw??(I) wherein Tw represents the track width, Tg represents the track gap, and MWw represents the magnetic write width of the recording head.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having high reliability is provided, in which concave portions between recording elements formed as convex portions of a concavo-convex pattern are approximately completely filled with a non-magnetic material. The magnetic recording medium is a plate-like body including: a substrate; a recording layer that is formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern over the substrate and includes recording elements for recording information formed as convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern; and the non-magnetic material filling concave portions between the recording elements. Side faces of the recording elements are inclined to face a surface of the plate-like body on a side toward which the recording elements 16 project in the concavo-convex pattern. An inclination angle of the side faces of the recording elements with respect to a direction perpendicular to that surface is smaller than 90° and 5° or more.

Abstract: In an information recording medium where respective concave parts of a magnetic layer, which is formed on at least one side e of a substrate and in which a predetermined convex/concave pattern has been formed, are filled with non-magnetic material and non-magnetic layers are formed by the non-magnetic material in at least partial regions of respective upper surfaces of respective convex parts of the magnetic layer, the non-magnetic layers are formed so that parts thereof protrude further in a direction in which the convex parts protrude than other parts of the non-magnetic layers.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reproducing device includes: a magnetic recording medium in which a magnetic recording layer is formed in a concavo-convex pattern so that tracks are formed by convex portions of a predetermined track width and arranged in parallel in the track width direction; a heating head for heating the magnetic recording medium to partially reduce coercivity of the tracks; a recording head for applying a recording magnetic field to a heated portion of the magnetic recording medium to record magnetic data on the tracks; and a reproducing head for detecting a reproducing magnetic field of the tracks. In this configuration, an effective recording area has an effective recording width that is equal to or more than the track width, and equal to or less than a sum of the track width and a doubled value of width of concave portions between the tracks.

Abstract: A pattern drawing apparatus which is capable of reducing manufacturing costs of information recording media. A partial drawing process is executed in response to output of a reference signal, for drawing, after being on standby for a predetermined standby time period, pattern segments, which are obtained by dividing patterns forming a servo pattern in the direction of the width of the patterns, by irradiation of a resin layer with an electron beam. A drawing position-changing process is executed for changing the irradiation position of the electron beam on the resin, toward a center of rotation of a substrate or away from the center of rotation, within a range of the effective drawing width of the electron beam. These processes are executed a plurality of times to draw an exposure pattern on the resin layer.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium which has a high areal density and reduced power consumption for recording operations, and a magnetic recording device incorporating the magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording medium has an upper soft magnetic layer formed uniformly along a plane including the upper surface of a recording layer over the convex and concave portions of a concavo-convex pattern in the recording layer.

Abstract: Both a magnetic recording width and a magnetic reproduction width of a magnetic head are equal to or larger than a combined width of a track width of tracks and double an off-track width of the magnetic head with respect to tracks on a magnetic recording medium during recording and reproduction of recording data, and are equal to or smaller than a width produced by subtracting double the off-track width during recording and reproduction from a combined width of the track width and double a groove width of grooves on the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a write/read head supporting mechanism for a magnetic or optical disk system having a micro-displacement actuator, by which any impediment to the displacement capability of the actuator is eliminated. A write/read head supporting mechanism comprises a slider provided with an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module, and a suspension. The slider is supported on suspension by way of an actuator for displacing slider. An electrical connection to the electromagnetic transducer element or said optical module is made by a first interconnecting arrangement movable and/or deformable in the displacement direction of slider by actuator, and an electrical connection to actuator is made by a second interconnecting arrangement.

Abstract: A write/read head supporting mechanism including a slider having an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module, a suspension for supporting the slider and including a ground region, and a microactuator disposed between the slider and the suspension for displacing said slider. Further, at least a part of the microactuator includes an electrically conductive region, and the ground region of the suspension is electrically connected to the slider by the electrically conductive region of the microactuator, such that the slider is grounded so as to prevent an electrostatic breakdown of the electromagnetic transducer element or the optical module.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a write/read head supporting mechanism for a magnetic disk system or optical disk system having an actuator for effecting a micro-displacement of a slider, wherein any electrostatic breakdown of an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module is prevented without detriment to the displacement capability of the actuator. The write/read head supporting mechanism of the invention comprises a slider 2 provided with an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module, and a suspension 3. The slider 2 is supported on the suspension 3 by way of an actuator 4 for displacing the slider 2. A ground region that the suspension 3 has is electrically connected to the slider 2 by way of an electrical connecting member 8 movable and/or deformable in the displacement direction of the slider 2 by the actuator 4.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a write/read head supporting mechanism for a magnetic or optical disk system having a micro-displacement actuator, by which any impediment to the displacement capability of the actuator is eliminated to achieve reliability improvements. The write/read head supporting mechanism comprises a slider, a suspension and an actuator as at least head constituents. The slider is provided with an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module. The slider supported on the suspension by way of the actuator is displaceable relatively with respect to the suspension by the actuator. Between relatively displacing head constituents there is a space. Preferably, friction-reducing means should be provided in the space.

Abstract: A read/write head includes a slider provided with an electromagnetic transducer element (or an optical module), an actuator, and a suspension. The actuator includes a fixed part, a movable part, and at least two beam members for coupling them together. The beam members have a displacement generating means that elongates and contracts by inverse piezoelectric effect or electrostrictive effect. The fixed part is fixed to the suspension, and the movable part is fixed to the slider. Upon the elongation and contraction of the displacement generator, the displacement generator deflects and the movable part displaces linearly, circularly or rotationally with respect to the fixed part, and the electromagnetic transducer element displaces in a linear or circular orbit, so that the electromagnetic transducer element intersects recording tracks.