Abstract: To avoid the occurrence of a recording error by suppressing the influence that a magneto-static interaction acting between the pattern dots exerts on a recording process and expand a margin for recording synchronization timing lag or tracking misregistration on the pattern dot. Each pattern dot has a structure in which a plurality of parts having different magnetization reversal fields are bonded with exchange interaction in the in-plane direction of a medium, substrate. The positional relationship between the parts having different magnetization reversal Fields is substantially coincident between the adjacent pattern dots, which are arranged to have a gradient of magnetization reversal field in a track direction or track transverse direction. Further, the recording is performed by adapting a gradient of recording magnetic field to the gradient of magnetization reversal field. Other methods and systems are described as well.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing device includes a recording layer, and a recording circuit which records data to the recording layer by generating a phase change in the recording layer. The recording layer includes a first chemical compound having a spinel structure. The recording layer is AxMyX4 (0.1?x?2.2, 1.0?y?2.0), where A includes one selected from a group of Zn, Cd and Hg, M includes one selected from a group of Cr, Mo, W, Mn and Re, and X includes O.

Abstract: An underlayer includes concentric soft magnetic bodies extending along the surface of a substrate. The soft magnetic bodies are separated from one another by concentric nonmagnetic bodies and configured to have the axis of easy magnetization set parallel to the surface of the substrate. A magnetic recording film extends along the surface of the underlayer. The magnetic recording film is configured to have the axis of easy magnetization in the perpendicular direction orthogonal to the surface of the substrate. The nonmagnetic bodies are arranged at pitch intervals each equal to or smaller than half a predetermined track pitch. The nonmagnetic bodies serve to restrict the flow of magnetic field in the radial direction in the underlayer. The magnetic field is prevented from acting on the adjacent recording tracks. The inversion of magnetization is reduced in the adjacent recording tracks. Side track erasure is suppressed.

Abstract: A disk drive having a magnetic recording disk with a transition zone is described. A surface texture of the transition zone induces the head to fly at a greater height than when operating over a data zone, while transitioning the head to a landing zone to park.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive has a disk with pre-patterned nondata servo sectors extending generally radially across the data tracks. The disk may be a patterned-media disk with both pre-patterned data islands and pre-patterned nondata servo sectors. The servo sectors include a synchronization pattern of generally radially directed discrete magnetized marks, and first and second position error signal (PES) fields of generally radially directed discrete magnetized stripes. Each stripe in each of the two fields comprises a plurality of radially spaced discrete servo islands, each island having a radial height of approximately Tp, where Tp is the radial spacing of the track centerlines. In each field, the servo islands in alternating stripes in the along-the-track direction are shifted radially by approximately Tp. In the first PES field, the islands are centered at the midline between two adjacent track centerlines, and in the second PES field the islands are centered at a track centerline.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetic recording medium substrate product which enables enhancement of contact strength between a substrate end surface and a soft magnetic layer, as well as suppression of occurrence of corrosion, a magnetic recording medium including the substrate product, which exhibits no deterioration of electromagnetic conversion characteristics and has excellent durability and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus including the magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording medium substrate product includes a disk-shaped non-magnetic substrate having a circular hole in a center portion thereof, and having a chamfer formed at least one of a portion between a main surface on which a magnetic layer is to be formed and an outer end surface and a portion between the main surface and an inner end surface defining the circular hole, wherein the chamfer has a surface roughness (Ra) falling within a range of 4.0 ??Ra?100 ?, preferably 4.0 ??Ra?50 ?, as measured by means of an AFM.

Abstract: We describe a system for electric field assisted magnetic recording where a recordable magnetic medium includes a magnetic recording layer of high coercivity and vertical magnetic anisotropy that is adjacent to an electrostrictive layer which can be placed in a state of stress by a electric field or which is already pre-stressed and which pre-stress can be turned into strain by an electric field. When the magnetic medium is acted on simultaneously by a magnetic writing field and an electric field, the stress in the elctrostrictive layer is transferred to a magnetostrictive layer which is the magnetic recording layer by itself or is coupled to the magnetic recording layer, whereupon the magnetic recording layer is made more isotropic and more easily written upon. Residual stresses in the electrostrictive layer can then be removed by an additional electric field of opposite sign to the stress-producing field.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information storage apparatus, includes: a recording medium with a first servo pattern having absolute position information and a second servo pattern having relative position information; a record reproducing head; a standard position detector calculating a standard position of the second servo pattern where an absolute position on the recording medium is specified, from a positional relationship between the first servo pattern and the second servo pattern; a head position controller positioning the record reproducing head in a target position on the recording medium, using the absolute position information of the first servo pattern, the standard position, and the relative position information of the second servo pattern; and a record signal generator generating a record signal to record a third servo pattern having absolute position information on the recording medium in the target position by the record reproducing head.

Abstract: A magnetic storage medium has tracks and guard bands magnetically separating adjacent tracks. The tracks and the guard bands are alternately and concentrically disposed. The tracks includes a plurality of data tracks in which data can be written and from which data can be reproduced and servo patterns disposed between the data tracks and allowing reproduction of positional information of the data tracks. The magnetic storage medium includes an offset-amount measurement area in which traverse tracks are formed so as to traverse adjacent tracks via each of the guard bands so that writing regarding offset measurement data for measuring an offset amount between a storage element and a reproducing element of a magnetic head unit is allowed at a center position of the storage element.

Abstract: A magnetic medium for use in data recording that has a series of concentric magnetic track portions separated from one another by non-magnetic portions or gap portions. The magnetic portions define data tracks and prevent signals from one track from bleeding into another track. Because the data tracks are distinctly separated, adjacent track interference is completely avoided. The disk may be manufactured by depositing first and second materials sequentially onto a rotating tube, the first and second materials having different etch rates. The tube may then be slided into disks and the disks subjected to a reactive ion etch (RIE) to form a disk surface having concentric raised portions separated by concentric recessed portions. A magnetic material can then be deposited. An optional chemical mechanical polishing process can then be performed to planarize the surface, resulting in a planar surface having rings of magnetic material separated by rings of non-magnetic material.

Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium which can easily produce a magnetic recording medium, the magnetic recording medium having a plurality of magnetically separated recording layers suitable as the recording layers in a discrete track medium or patterned medium, and also having excellent surface flatness, in which spaces between the adjacent recording layers are filled in with a non-magnetic material.

Abstract: A data storage device uses a foil disk platter with significantly reduced inertia and weight as compared to the thick aluminum or glass disk platter in a typical hard disk drive. The reduced rotating inertia of the foil disk enables faster spin-up performance which can be used to reduce decrease the power consumed by the unit. In portable appliances that use disk drive storage devices battery life can be extended significantly and the unit can be made thinner and lighter. Certain parameters of the foil disk substrate may be determined, to provide improved control of disk flutter, from a range parameter defined by RANGE = ? ? ? R 2 Et 2 where ?=foil disk substrate mass density, R=foil disk substrate radius, E=Young's modulus of foil disk substrate, and t=foil disk substrate thickness. RANGE has dimensional units of s2/in2, and the magnitude of RANGE may be between 10?6 and 3(10?4).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a soft magnetic underlayer having an amorphous structure or a microcrystalline structure, a first seed layer comprised of a magnetic material having an fcc crystal structure including a CoFe alloy formed on a substrate side, and a second seed layer formed on the first seed layer, the second seed layer comprised of a nonmagnetic material having an fcc crystal structure including a NiW alloy. The medium also includes an intermediate layer comprised of Ru or an alloy thereof, a magnetic recording layer, and a protective layer, wherein the layers are sequentially stacked on a substrate in the foregoing order and the protective layer is closer to the substrate than the soft magnetic underlayer. Other embodiments of magnetic recording media, and methods of fabrication, are also described.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium is disclosed, as well as a magnetic recording medium manufactured by the method. In the manufacturing method, the uneven pattern has magnetic recording elements in protruding portions formed above a substrate, and depressed portions between the recording elements are filled with a filling material. The method allows a high quality magnetic recording medium to be manufactured inexpensively by eliminating the process of removing excess filling material used to fill depressions between magnetic recording elements, because the method allows material to be filled only in the depressed portions of an uneven pattern. The method includes a technique rendering the wettability of the protruding portion surfaces and the depressed portion surfaces different prior to the process of filling with the filling material.

Abstract: Nanoimprinting resin compositions are cured quickly and uniformly, are patterned by transferring evenly without transfer failure, and are suited for UV nanoimprinting methods and thermal nanoimprinting methods. The invention also provides micropatterned films of the compositions and processes for producing such films, magnetic disk media obtained with the films and production processes therefor, and recording/reproducing apparatuses for recording information in the magnetic disk media or for reproducing information from the magnetic disk media. The nanoimprinting resin compositions essentially contain (a) a compound having at least one polymerizable group in the molecule, and (b) organic or inorganic fine particles.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a perpendicular recording medium with low noise and high recording density by reducing the effects from noise generated from the vicinity of the interface with the intermediate layer of the recording layer, in a perpendicular recording medium utilizing a granular recording layer containing oxygen or oxide additive in a cobalt-chromium alloy formed on an intermediate layer with a ruthenium or ruthenium alloy layer. A first recording layer and a second recording layer are formed in order on an intermediate layer of ruthenium or ruthenium alloy. The first recording layer and the second recording layer are comprised of cobalt as the main material in a granular structure containing chromium and oxygen. The saturation magnetization of the first recording layer is lower than the saturation magnetization of the second recording layer.

Abstract: A system and method form a nanodisk that can be used to form isolated data bits on a memory disk. The imprint stamp is formed from first and second overlapping patterns, where the patterns are selectively etched. The selective etching leaves either pits or posts on the imprint stamp. The pits or posts are imprinted on the memory disk, leaving either pits or posts on the memory disk. The pits or posts on the memory disk are processed to form relatively small and dense isolated data bits. Instability of the isolated data bits caused by outside magnetic and thermal influences is substantially eliminated.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a magnetic disk that includes a plurality of zones in which a plurality of tracks are arranged for each of circumferences of a spiral, and gaps that are arranged between the zones to have a width a predetermined number of times larger than a track width and that are regions without providing recording bits; and a reproducing element that simultaneously makes an access to the recording bits contained in the tracks, reading information stored in the recording bits, wherein the number of the tracks is one or larger and a sum of one and the predetermined number or smaller in one of the zones.

Abstract: A magnetic transfer master carrier to be placed on a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, including: a concavo-convex pattern corresponding to magnetic information to be transferred to the medium by application of a magnetic field, wherein a length (La) of a convex portion in the concavo-convex pattern and a length (Sa) of a space between the convex portion and another convex portion adjacent to the convex portion satisfy 1.3?(Sa/La)?1.9, and wherein a cycle length (La+Sa) is in the range of 50 nm to 145 nm, where the length (La) is the width of the convex portion with respect to a circumferential direction measured at a height equivalent to 50% of the height of the convex portion, and the length (Sa) is the width of the space with respect to the circumferential direction measured at the height equivalent to 50% of the height of the convex portion.

Abstract: Servo patterns and associated methods of fabricating servo patterns are described. For patterned storage media, data sectors and servo sectors may be patterned using self-assembly. In one embodiment, self-assembly is used to form a first array of islands and a second array of islands in servo sectors that are track-wise offset. A servo writing process is then performed to write a desired servo pattern in the arrays, such as for burst fields, synchronization fields, etc.

Abstract: A disk drive with DTR media and method of assembly is described. The method may include aligning a discrete track recording (DTR) track pattern center on a DTR disk with a rotational center of a spindle hub and mounting the DTR disk on the spindle hub to minimize eccentricity. After the DTR disk is mounted to the spindle hub, it may be rotated to a designed rotational speed and the mass imbalance of the rotating DTR disk/spindle hub may be measured. The mass imbalance may be mitigated using a mechanical component such as a counter weight coupled to a spindle rotatable component, for example, the spindle hub, a spacer assembly, a clamp assembly, etc. The method may mitigate the eccentricity associated with DTR media and minimize run-out due to the mass imbalance of an otherwise rotated DTR disk/hub aligned for eccentricity correction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic recording medium that has sufficient recording/reproducing characteristics and good write characteristics and can correspond to high recording density, and a method of manufacturing the same. A magnetic recording medium 1 includes a plurality of magnetic recording patterns 2 that is magnetically separated from each other. Each of the magnetic recording patterns 2 includes a low-coercivity region 2a and a high-coercivity region 2b having a coercivity higher than the low-coercivity region, and the high-coercivity region 2b is arranged at the center of the low-coercivity region 2a in a plan view.

Abstract: A servo control field on a recordable medium includes a bit patterned media (BPM) pattern including a plurality of dots arranged in a down-track orientation and in a cross-track orientation, wherein the dots comprise a plurality of dot composites. Each of the dot composites includes a plurality of dots. A first spacing between adjacent ones of the plurality of dots in a dot composite in the down-track direction on the recordable medium is less than a second spacing between adjacent ones of the plurality of dot composites in the down-track direction. A readback signal generated in response to the BPM patterned may be filtered to attenuate harmonic frequencies in the readback signal.

Abstract: A patterned-media magnetic recording disk drive uses an optical system for accurately clocking the write data. The disk has concentric data tracks patterned into discrete magnetizable data islands with nonmagnetic spaces between the islands. As the disk rotates, a radiation source directs near-field radiation to the islands and spaces, and a radiation detector receives reflected radiation. The radiation is directed from the source through an optical channel or waveguide on the air-bearing slider that supports the read and write heads. The optical channel or waveguide has a near-field transducer at the disk-facing surface of the slider where the near-field radiation exits and reflected radiation returns. The reflected optical power varies depending on whether the near-field transducer couples to an island or a space, so the radiation detector output signal represents the frequency and phase of the islands as the disk rotates.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring and neutralizing the electrical charge at the interface of a magnetic head and a magnetic storage medium, such as a disk, is disclosed. A surface treatment material is applied to the magnetic head. The surface treatment material matches the medium surface material on the surface of the magnetic storage medium. The surface treatment material on the magnetic read/write head may be a fluorinated carbon, such as a Fomblin Z-derivative, perfluoro alkyl trichlorosilane, a FC-722, or a fluorinated polymer. The surface treatment material can be applied to the magnetic head by a vapor deposition process or by a liquid immersion process. The charge on the head-disk interface can be measured by applying varying external charges to the head while reading a signal previously written to the disk.

Abstract: In a magnetic recording medium including a servo pattern region having a servo pattern formed of a concave/convex pattern having convex portions and concave portions and a data recording region, the region having a data track pattern, the convex portions are formed in an address pattern region of the servo pattern region such that the maximum opening lengths, which are located in the respective same radius regions of the respective opening lengths along the rotating direction of a substrate of the concave portions constituting the concave/convex pattern are set to first lengths that are double the minimum opening lengths along the rotating direction of the concave portions in the respective same radius regions. With this arrangement, the magnetic recording medium can securely read a magnetic signal and has a servo pattern having excellent surface smoothness.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for correcting write synchronization of a magnetic storage device with respect to magnetic storage media and its corresponding writable magnetic bits, or dots. In particular, these systems and methods involve using time-shifting principles to calibrate the magnetic storage devices to correct slow drifts of reader-writer timing. It is to be appreciated that time-shifting techniques can be applied in a variety of manners. For example, the very dots on the media can be positioned in time-shifted fashion. In another example, the writing to the dots can be time-shifted.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a patterned recording medium includes providing a workpiece with a non-magnetic substrate and at least one overlying magnetic layer, laminating a thermal insulation barrier partially in a soft under layer of one of the at least one magnetic layers and forming a topographical pattern including a plurality of trenches in the soft under layer. Blocks of track triplets are formed between adjacent trenches that are magnetically and thermally insulated from other adjacent blocks of track triplets.

Abstract: A bit patterned media (BPM) includes many magnetic dots arranged in tracks on a substrate. The magnetic dots each have a hard magnetic core, a soft magnetic cladding surrounding the core and a thin non-magnetic layer that separates the hard magnetic core from the soft magnetic ring. The soft magnetic cladding stabilizes the magnetization at the edges of the hard magnetic core to improve the signal to noise ratio of the magnetic dots. The soft magnetic rings also narrow the magnetic field of the dots which reduces the space requirements and allows more dots to be placed on the substrate.

Abstract: A patterned media type magnetic storage medium has separated magnetic dots formed a data area having a first magnetic dots and a servo area. The micro position detection portion in the servo area is constructed with first and second dot arrays having a different number of second magnetic dots in the circumference direction and face with the center line that the first magnetic dots of the data area in the magnetic storage medium are disposed, as the axis. The area of the magnetic dot constituting the micro position detection portion of the servo area is small, so the coercive force of the servo area increases. The frequency is changed depending on the number of magnetic dots, and the phase is changed depending on the position of the magnetic dot array in the radius direction with the center line as an axis.

Abstract: In a perpendicular magnetic recording medium in which at least a soft magnetic underlayer, an orientation control layer, a magnetic recording layer and a protective layer are formed on a non-magnetic substrate in order from the bottom, the orientation control layer has a laminated structure of two or more layers including an intermediate layer and a seed layer which is disposed closer to the non-magnetic substrate than the intermediate layer. The seed layer includes two or more kinds of elements having a face-centered cubic structure, has face-centered cubic (111) plane crystals oriented in a direction perpendicular to a substrate surface, and has a pseudo-hexagonal structure.

Abstract: A method of forming a discrete track recording pattern on a soft magnetic underlayer of a perpendicular magnetic recording disk. In one embodiment, the soft magnetic underlayer is continuous throughout the discrete track recording pattern.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a patterned magnetic recording media has a magnetic recording layer and a protective layer formed on a substrate, in which the magnetic recording layer including a magnetic material patterned in tracks and a nonmagnetic material filled in between the tracks in a data area, and has a recessed portion formed in an area within 1 mm from an outer media end and extending to the media end. The recessed portion being formed 1 to 50 nm deeper than the data area.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a dual-layer magnetic film is disclosed. The bottom layer is completely exchange decoupled, and the top layer contains a certain amount of exchange coupling optimized for recording performance. Preferably, the bottom magnetic layer contains stable oxide material (for example, TiO2) and other non-magnetic elements (for example, Cr). A method of manufacturing the media is also disclosed.

Abstract: Mirror-image patterns for use one patterned media. Methods are implemented to create a mirror-image on the top and bottom of a media disk. These mirror images simplify the creation of electronics for patterned media. Further, the methods allow for a single e-beam master disk to be used to create the stamper for the top and the bottom of the media disk.

Abstract: One-sided magnetic media for a hard disk drive. Methods are implemented to create a magnetic media with only one surface capable of recording data. The second surface is a non-data recording side of the media and is constructed so that it does not interfere with the recording properties of the recording side or the structural usefulness of the media. Additionally, the second surface can be a low quality surface capable of limited magnetic recording.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk in a disk drive has identical pre-patterned servo patterns on its front and back surfaces. The servo patterns on each disk surface are pre-patterned with a single master template, resulting in the identical pattern on each disk surface. The servo sectors on the two disk surfaces can form identical patterns of angularly spaced arcuate-shaped lines or straight lines that extend radially across the data tracks. However, because the lines on at least one of the disk surfaces do not replicate the path of the recording head, the sampling rate of the servo sectors on that surface is not constant but varies with radial position of the head. To accommodate this, the disk drive's servo control system calculates a timing adjustment from an estimate of the radial position of the head and uses this timing adjustment to adjust the time to open a time window to allow detection of the servo sectors.

Abstract: The invention uses an adhesion layer of an amorphous alloy of aluminum. A first aluminum titanium embodiment of the amorphous adhesion layer preferably contains approximately equal amounts of aluminum and titanium (+/?5 at. %). A second embodiment of the amorphous adhesion layer preferably contains approximately equal amounts of aluminum and titanium (+/?5 at. %) and up to 10 at. % Zr with 5 at. % Zr being preferred. A third embodiment is aluminum tantalum preferably including from 15 to 25 at. % tantalum with 20 at. % being preferred. The most preferred compositions are Al50Ti50, Al47.5Ti47.5Zr5 or Al80 Ta20. The adhesion layer is deposited onto the substrate. The substrate can be glass or a metal such as NiP-plated AlMg. The preferred embodiment of media according to the invention is for perpendicular recording and includes a magnetically soft underlayer deposited above the adhesion layer.

Abstract: A magnetic storage medium is formed of magnetic nanoparticles that are encapsulated within carbon nanotubes, which are arranged in a substrate to facilitate the reading and writing of information by a read/write head. The substrate may be flexible or rigid. Information is stored on the magnetic nanoparticles via the read/write head of a storage device. These magnetic nanoparticles are arranged into data tracks to store information through encapsulation within the carbon nanotubes. As carbon nanotubes are bendable, the carbon nanotubes may be arranged on flexible or rigid substrates, such as a polymer tape or disk for flexible media, or a glass substrate for rigid disk. A polymer may assist holding the nano-particle filled carbon-tubes to the substrate. Magnetic fields may be applied to draw the carbon nanotubes into data tracks and orient the carbon nanotubes within the data tracks. Read/write devices and methods create servo sectors and rotational markers on the magnetic storage medium as well as data.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium, a manufacturing method thereof, and a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus are provided, capable, with a configuration having a magnetic recording film only on one side, of suppressing warp occurrence, and obtaining a high quality and thin-type magnetic recording medium. When forming a recording layer having at least a magnetic recording film on one main surface of a substrate by means of a vapor-phase film forming method, a thin film is formed on the other main surface of the substrate using a vapor-phase film forming method. When the recording layer is formed as a multiple layer structure, the thin film is also formed as a multiple layer structure with the same number of laminations as for the recording layer 5, and layer pairs of the same lamination order as the recording layer and the thin film are preferably formed concurrently in the same chamber.

Abstract: Provided are a magnetic recording medium substrate whereupon a magnetic layer can be regularly formed in a recording area, a magnetic recording medium and a method for manufacturing the magnetic recording medium substrate. A plurality of recording areas wherein the magnetic layer is to be formed are formed on the surface of the disk-shaped magnetic recording medium substrate. The size of the recording area is an integral multiple of a lattice constant of a unit lattice of a single crystal structure constituting the magnetic layer. For instance, the width of a protruding section (3) to be used as the recording area is an integral multiple of the lattice constant of the unit lattice of the single crystal structure configuring the magnetic layer.

Abstract: A bit-patterned magnetic media (BPM) includes with respect to each data track regular bit-islands having a first size and large bit-islands having a second size. The placement of the regular bit-islands and large bit-islands within each data track results in a unique pattern. An amplitude-modulated readback signal is generated in response to a transducer head moving over the bit-patterned media. Based on the amplitude-modulated readback signal, channel response circuitry detects the pattern of regular bit-islands and large bit-islands associated with a particular data track. Based on the detected pattern, the channel response circuitry is able to uniquely identify the data track.

Abstract: A sticker (42) having at least an encryption key (424) previously recorded in an electromagnetically and optically readable state is attached at a prescribed position of a recording medium (100). The recording medium is provided with a recording area (43) for recording data, which includes encryption data encrypted based on at least the encryption key recorded on the sticker, in the electromagnetically and optically readable state.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium has an “exchange-spring” type magnetic recording layer (RL) with an improved coupling layer (CL). The RL includes the first or lower ferromagnetic layer MAG1, sometimes called the “media” layer, the second or upper ferromagnetic layer MAG2, sometimes called the “exchange-spring” layer, and the intermediate CL that provides ferromagnetic exchange coupling between MAG1 and MAG2. The CL is formed of NiCr or RuCr based alloys, or CoCr or CoCrB alloys with high Cr and/or B content (Cr plus B>about 25 atomic percent), or RuCoCr alloys with low Co content (<about 65 atomic percent). For each CL composition there is a CL thickness range that provides the optimal interlayer exchange coupling between MAG1 and MAG2. The selected CL materials provide an exchange-type perpendicular magnetic recording medium with good magnetic performance, while the relatively high amount of Cr of the CL improves the corrosion resistance of the medium.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a substrate for a magnetic recording media has circumferential protrusions corresponding to recording tracks and circumferential recesses corresponding to grooves between the recording tracks, in which the substrate satisfying at least one of conditions of (a) a surface of the recess has a surface energy smaller than that of the protrusion, (b) the surface of the recess is modified with a thermally decomposable or deformable substance, (c) the surface of the recess has surface roughness smaller than that of the protrusion, (d) crystal orientation is more disturbed on the surface of the recess than on the protrusion, (e) the surface of the recess is modified with a substance that causes reaction with a magnetic material or that diffuses into the magnetic material, and (f) the surface of the recess is modified with a substance soluble in a solvent or with a deformable substance.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a recording track has a surface modification layer in the surface region. This surface modification layer has an anisotropic magnetic field Hk reduced from that of a region between adjacent recording tracks.

Abstract: A method for making a master mold to be used for nanoimprinting patterned-media magnetic recording disks results in a master mold having topographic pillars arranged in a pattern of annular bands of concentric rings. The ratio of circumferential density of the pillars to the radial density of the concentric rings in a band is greater than 1. The method uses sidewall lithography to first form a pattern of generally radially-directed pairs of parallel lines on the master mold substrate, with the lines being grouped into annular zones or bands. The sidewall lithography process can be repeated, resulting in a doubling of the number of lines each time the process is repeated. Conventional lithography is used to form concentric rings over the radially-directed pairs of parallel lines. After etching and resist removal, the master mold has pillars arranged in circular rings, with the rings grouped into annular bands.

Abstract: A disk processing device holds and rotates a disk with a spindle. Processing tapes are supplied out and wound up by a tape reel unit so as to sandwich and be pressed on both surfaces of the disk through contact rollers. As a crankshaft is rotated, a sliding plate rotates around it and a slidable shaft rotates around a fulcrum part while sliding along the sliding plate such that the contact roller undergoes a reciprocating motion in a radial direction of the disk together with a slider rotatably attached to the slidable shaft.

Abstract: Provided is a master recording medium suitable for use in magnetic transfer of a servo pattern onto a magnetic recording medium. The master recording medium includes a substrate including a plurality of servo regions and a plurality of data regions, and a magnetic layer formed on each of the servo regions and patterned in the shape of a servo pattern to be patterned on a magnetic recording medium, wherein the servo regions protrude relative to the data regions.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium has a granular magnetic layer and a nonmagnetic underlayer of a metal or an alloy having a hexagonal close packed (hcp) crystal structure. A seed layer of a metal or an alloy of a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure is provided under the nonmagnetic underlayer. Such a perpendicular magnetic recording medium exhibits excellent magnetic characteristics even when the thickness of the underlayer or the total thickness of the underlayer and the seed layer is very thin. Excellent magnetic characteristics can be obtained even when of the substrate is not preheated. Accordingly, a nonmagnetic substrate, such as a plastic resin can be employed to reduce the manufacturing cost.