Abstract: For forming an annular magnetostrictive coat on an outer peripheral surface of a rotational shaft associated with a magnetostrictive torque sensor, a magnetostrictive-coat forming method comprises a step of fitting a cylindrical masking jig over the outer peripheral surface of the rotational shaft and securing the masking jig to the outer peripheral surface, a step of placing the rotational shaft in a plating tank to thereby form the magnetostrictive coat by plating on the outer peripheral surface, and a step of detaching the masking jig from the rotational shaft.

Abstract: Magnetic material, which is not normally bcc-structured under ambient conditions, is induced into becoming bcc as a result of its proximity to a suitable templating material, such as a bcc-structured underlayer that is in contact with the magnetic material. The magnetic material, in combination with a tunnel barrier and other elements, forms a magnetic tunneling device, such as a magnetic tunnel junction that may have a tunneling magnetoresistance of 100% or more. Suitable tunnel barriers include MgO and Mg—ZnO, and the magnetic material may be Co. The templating material may include such elements as V, Cr, Nb, Mo, and W, or the tunnel barrier MgO may itself serve as the templating material.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium and a manufacturing method for making it are disclosed. The method facilitates preventing the lubricant deposited on the end face of the magnetic recording medium from migrating onto the major surfaces thereof. The lubricant deposited on an end face of a magnetic disk, which may migrate onto the major surfaces of the magnetic disk, is wiped off by the rotating magnetic disk with the lubricant deposited thereon, by spraying a solvent onto a wiping tape while feeding the wiping tape, and by pressing the wet wiping tape containing the solvent to the end face of the magnetic disk with a pad while the feeding of the wiping tape is discontinued. Alternatively, the lubricant deposited on the end face of a magnetic disk is solidified to deprive the lubricant of its fluidity by rotating the magnetic disk with the lubricant deposited thereon while irradiating it with ultraviolet radiation from a UV lamp through a slit opened in a shield on the lamp to the end face of the magnetic disk.

Abstract: A process for achieving tighter reader and writer track width control is disclosed. The write gap layer is used as the plating seed on which the upper pole is electro-formed. This allows the write gap layer to then be deposited through a precisely controllable process such as sputtering. Since less material needs to be removed during pole trimming, a thinner layer of photoresist may be used, resulting in improved dimensional control.

Abstract: A pattern is formed by applying a coating composition containing magnetic particles to an article so that a coating film is formed, and a plurality of sheet form magnets are placed along the front surface of this coating film. Adjacent sheet form magnets are arranged in such a state that the magnetic poles on the front surface and the magnetic poles on the back surface are different between adjacent sheet form magnets, and side surfaces of the sheet form magnets contact each other. The coating composition contains a thermoplastic resin, magnetic particles with flaky form and a specific low boiling point solvent and a specific high boiling point solvent. A magnetic field is applied to the coating film by the sheet form magnets, so that the magnetic particles in the coating film are oriented by the magnetic field and the magnetic particles are oriented substantially parallel to the front surface of the coating film above the contact portions between the sheet form magnets.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having magnetic dots that can achieve high density recording is disclosed. The magnetic recording medium comprises at least an underlayer, a magnetic recording layer, and a protective layer sequentially laminated on a nonmagnetic substrate. The underlayer is composed of ruthenium or an alloy of mainly ruthenium and has an undulating structure formed with ridge lines in a predetermined pitch on the surface of the underlayer. The magnetic recording layer contains at least ferromagnetic crystal grains and a nonmagnetic component. Magnetic dots composed of crystal grains with a grain size not smaller than 4 nm in the magnetic recording layer are aligned on a surface of the underlayer along the ridge line, and each of the magnetic dots s separated by the nonmagnetic component from each other. A simple manufacturing method for this medium also is disclosed.

Abstract: A higher value of an anistropic magnetic feild can be acquired by using a magnetic material where Cr is not added as a material of a magnetic layer on which magnetic data is recorded. A magnetic recording medium can be manufactured through the processes of laminating an underlayer cosisting opf Cr-based non-magnetic material on a substrate, and then laminating, on this underlayer, a magnetic layer consisting of an alloy of at least one kind of non-magnetic material that is different from Cr and Co.

Abstract: An information-storage media is provided that includes: (a) a substrate disk 312 having first and second opposing surfaces; (b) a first interface layer 304 on the first surface, the first interface layer having a first thickness; (c) a second interface layer 308 on the second surface, the second interface layer having a second thickness, wherein the first and second interface layers have a different chemical composition than the substrate disk; and (d) an information-storage layer 412 adjacent to one or both of the interface layers. The first and second thicknesses are different to provide an unequal stress distribution across the cross-section of the media.

Abstract: A metal manganese oxide buffer layer is used to seed a barrier layer in a magnetic tunnel junction memory element having pinned and free magnetic layers. An alumina tunnel barrier layer is formed on the oxidized metal manganese layer with the barrier layer and oxidized metal manganese layer being between the pinned or free ferromagnetic layers.

Abstract: A magnetic field is applied to planarize magnetic pigment flakes relative to a surface. Pigment flakes, such as optically variable pigment flakes, are used in a variety of paints, inks, extrusions, powder coatings, and other forms for decorative and security applications. In many applications pigment flakes tend to align parallel to each other and to the surface to which they are applied. If the pigment flakes include a suitable magnetic structure, a magnetic field can be applied to subsequently align the flakes or enhance the alignment of the flakes in the plane of the substrate if the carrier that the flakes are dispersed in is still fluid. In some printing operations, pigment flakes that are applied parallel to the substrate are pulled out of plane when the print screen or printing die is lifted off the substrate. Application of a magnetic field can re-align pigment flakes to the plane of the substrate, enhancing the visual quality of the printed image, especially with optically variable pigments.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium for efficiently and certainly manufacturing a magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording medium has a recording layer formed to have predetermined concavo-convex pattern and an adequately flat surface. According to this method, a non-magnetic material is deposited on and filled into a member to be processed 10 by adjusting sputtering conditions in such a manner as to satisfy the following Eq I: 0.1?V/V0?0.003×(L·d/t)+1.2 Eq I where V represents a deposition rate which is the film thickness per unit of time, V0 represent a deposition rate in a case that the bias power is zero, t represents the film thickness of the deposited non-magnetic material, L represents the width of a recording element, and d represents the depth of a recessed portion between the recording elements.

Abstract: A method for making a spin valve includes providing a substrate; depositing a first ferromagnetic layer having a first surface on the substrate; depositing a spacer layer having a second surface; depositing a second ferromagnetic layer, wherein the spacer layer is disposed between the first and second ferromagnetic layers; and exposing one or more of the first and second surfaces to an oxygen partial pressure, then decreasing the oxygen partial pressure before depositing a subsequent layer. One or more of the first and second surfaces may be exposed to an oxygen partial pressure of between about 1×10?7 Torr and about 5×10?5 Torr.

Abstract: An iron nitride magnetic powder comprised primarily of Fe16N2 phase is characterized in that its coercive force Hc is 200 KA/m or greater and bulk switching field distribution BSDF is 2 or less. The magnetic powder can be produced by allowing a nitriding reaction of Fe particles with a nitrogen-containing gas for producing nitrided particles of primarily Fe16N2 phase to proceed under an increased pressure of 0.1 MPa or greater. The enhanced properties of the iron nitride magnetic powder make it suitable as a magnetic material for high-density magnetic recording media.

Abstract: Proposed are a substrate that comprises an easily producible soft magnetic backing film and can reduce spike noise from the soft magnetic backing film, and a method for producing the substrate. More specifically, provided are a substrate for a perpendicular magnetic recording hard disk medium, comprising an Si single crystal substrate (1) having a diameter of 65 mm or less, a thickness of 1 mm or less and an average surface roughness (Rms) of 1 nm or more and 1000 nm or less; an under-plated layer (2) formed on the substrate, the layer (2) comprising one or more metals selected from a group consisting of Ni, Cu and Ag and having a thickness of 1 nm to 300 nm; and a plated soft magnetic layer (3) formed on the under-plated layer, the layer (3) having a thickness of 50 nm or more and less than 1000 nm, a coercivity of 20 Oe(oersteds) or less and a saturation magnetization of 1T or more, wherein the average surface roughness (Rms) of the plated soft magnetic layer is 0.1 nm or more and 5 nm or less.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, which provide high surface recording density and high recording/reading performance. The magnetic recording medium is manufactured by forming an intermediate protective layer between a continuous recording layer and a first mask layer, dividing the continuous recording layer to form divided recording elements, and then removing the first mask layer while leaving the intermediate protective layer on the top of the divided recording elements. Further, gaps between the divided recording elements are filled with a non-magnetic material before removing the first mask layer.

Abstract: The fabrication of a semiconductor integrated circuit device involves testing using a pushing mechanism that is constructed by forming, over the upper surface of a thin film probe, a reinforcing material having a linear expansion coefficient (thermal expansion coefficient) almost equal to that of a wafer to be tested; forming a groove in the reinforcing material above a contact terminal; placing an elastomer in the groove so that a predetermined amount projects out of the groove; and disposing a pusher and another elastomer to sandwich the pusher between the elastomers. With the use of such a probe, it is possible to improve the throughput of wafer-level electrical testing of a semiconductor integrated circuit.

Abstract: There are disclosed an information recording medium substrate having a surface roughness of Rmax 15 nm or less, and an information recording medium, particularly an information recording medium substrate and information recording medium in which for surfaces of the substrate and medium, a bearing area value (offset bearing area value) in a depth of 0.5 to 5 nm (predetermined slice level) from a bearing height (real peak height) corresponding to the bearing area value of 0.2% to 1.0% is 90% or less, and a manufacture method of the substrate and medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic recording medium comprising a thin film magnetic layer of thickness in a range from 0.03 to 0.30 ?m, and having excellent surface smoothness and superior electromagnetic conversion characteristics. The magnetic recording medium comprises a lower non-magnetic layer containing at least a non-magnetic powder and a binder resin on one surface of a non-magnetic support, an upper magnetic layer containing at least a ferromagnetic powder and a binder resin on the lower non-magnetic layer, and a back coat layer on the other surface of the non-magnetic support, wherein the thickness of the upper magnetic layer is within the range from 0.03 to 0.30 ?m, the AFM surface roughness Ra of the upper magnetic layer is 6 nm or less, and the number of concavities with a depth of 30 nm or greater in the surface of the upper magnetic layer is 5 per 1 cm2 of surface area or less.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a non-magnetic under-layer, a magnetic layer, a protective film and a liquid lubricant layer sequentially laminated on a non-magnetic substrate. The magnetic layer has a multi-layer structure laminated with two or more magnetic layer components, each of the magnetic layer components having ferromagnetic grains and non-magnetic grain boundaries surrounding the grain. The resulting magnetic recording medium has a granular magnetic layer exhibiting very high Hc accompanying high density of magnetic recording, while decreasing the amount of platinum needed for attaining the high Hc, and reducing media noise accompanying the high recording density.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a magnetic head wherein a read head portion of the magnetic head includes a second gap insulation layer that includes a first portion that is fabricated upon the electrical leads of the read head and a second portion that is fabricated upon both a sensor portion of the read head and the first portion of the insulation layer. Both the first portion and the second portion of the insulation layer are made up of multi-layered laminations. Each said lamination is fabricated by depositing a thin film of metal, followed by the oxidation of that metallic thin film.

Abstract: A magnetoresistance sensor is fabricated using a sensor structure including a free layer deposited upon a lower layered structure and depositing an oxide structure overlying the free layer. The depositing of the oxide structure includes the steps of depositing a buffer layer overlying the free layer, wherein the buffer layer is a buffer-layer metal when deposited, depositing an overlayer overlying and contacting the buffer layer, the overlayer being an overlayer metallic oxide of an overlayer metal, and oxidizing the buffer layer to form a buffer layer metallic oxide.

Abstract: In a master carrier for magnetic transfer which comprises a support that has a transfer-recording pattern arrayed in the track direction thereof in accordance with the information to be transferred to a magnetic recording medium, and a magnetic layer formed on the transfer-recording pattern of the support, the in-plane distance L (mm) between the hill and the valley of the warped master carrier, the vertical-direction distance H (?m) between the two, and the thickness d (mm) of the master carrier are so defined that they satisfy a relation of 0.05?H·d3/L?0.6.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having a high coercive force and being capable of high-density writing/reading has a substrate, a soft magnetic layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, a magnetic layer, a protective layer, and a lubricating layer. The magnetic layer is characterized by stacking fault density and dispersion of particle diameters. The stacking fault density should preferably be no larger than 0.05, and the dispersion of particle diameters should preferably be no larger than 0.4. The magnetic recording medium has a coercive force larger than 4000 Oe, is highly stable to thermal decay, and has a recording density in excess of 50 Gbit/in2.

Abstract: A method for making three-dimensional structures of nanometric or micrometric dimensions comprises the following steps: obtaining of a photopolymeric or UV mixture including nanoparticles orientable in space; deposition of a layer of the mixture on a respective substrate; exposure of the layer to UV-radiation and control of the polymerization of the mixture by means of variation of its index of refraction; application of a magnetic and/or electrical field for producing a desired positioning of the nanoparticles, in order to induce the growth of surface projections from the layer of mixture; and polymerization of the mixture.

Abstract: A resin bonded rare earth magnet, compression molded from rare earth-transition alloy powder and thermosetting resin, having a magnet 1 comprising a mixture of thermosetting resin and rare earth-transition alloy powder with a particle size of between 20 and 300 microns, a filling material 3 with particle size between 0.1 and 15 microns which is used to fill in the depressions 2 on the surface of said magnet 1 and is then fixed with said thermosetting resin, and a corrosion inhibiting coat 4 made from synthetic resin applied to the surface of said magnet 1 which has been rendered smooth by the application of said filling material into the depressions on its surface.

Abstract: A magnetic disk includes a substrate on which a nonmagnetic metal layer, a magnetic layer, a carbon-based protection layer, an alcohol-based coupling layer, and a lubrication layer successively formed thereon. The lubrication layer contains a hydroxyl- or a carboxyl-modified compound as a lubricating material. The alcohol-based coupling layer contains, for example, lower alcohol as a main component and is deposited on the carbon-based protection layer, for example, by vapor deposition. The alcohol-based coupling layer may be replaced by a layer containing lower alcohol. The carbon-based protection layer may be deposited by plasma CVD.

Abstract: A production method and a production apparatus for a magnetic recording medium, which enable the efficient production of a discrete type magnetic recording medium, while reliably preventing any deterioration of the partitioned recording elements.

Abstract: A novel technique for incorporating rapid thermal annealing into media sputter fabrication has facilitated the production of flyable media samples. Discs are fabricated with standard processing techniques to control physical grain size and crystallite texture. A CrMn caplayer ranging in thickness between 0.5 and 5 nm is subsequently deposited to provide the Mn-diffusant necessary to achieve post-treatment exchange de-coupling. While still in-situ and before application of protective overcoats, the discs are exposed to temperatures between 200° C. and 350° C. compatible with most media production processes. A threefold increase in coercive force (peak reaching ˜3800 Oe) and 10 dB improvement in medium signal-to-noise ratio is observed for the optimized process.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium including a non-magnetic substrate, a back coat, a lower layer, and a magnetic upper layer. The substrate defines a front side and back side, with the back coat being formed on the back side. The lower layer is disposed over the front side of the substrate and includes a primary powder material and conductive carbon black material dispersed in a binder. The primary lower layer powder material comprises particles having a coercivity of less than 300 Oe coated with an electroconductive material. The magnetic upper layer is disposed over the lower layer and includes a magnetic powder dispersed in a binder.

Abstract: In a spin tunnel magnetoresistive effect film in which a magnetic thin film to which an exchange bias is applied by exchange coupling via an anti-ferromagnetic thin film and a magnetic thin film that detects a magnetic field are laminated, a magnetic thin film or an anti-ferromagnetic thin film (PtMn, PdMn, NiMn) is laminated onto an underlayer (Ta, Zr, Hf), the surface roughness thereof being in the range from 0.1 to 5 Angstroms. A means used to control the surface roughness introduces into the film growing chamber oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, or a gas mixture thereof into a vacuum of 10?6 Torr to 10?9 Torr, reduces the substrate temperature to 0° C. or lower during film growth, or oxidizes an underlayer. The lower electrode layer material used is a film laminate of a high-permeability amorphous magnetic material and a non-magnetic metallic layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic layer with excellent surface smoothness, which comprises a thin film magnetic layer of thickness in a range from 0.03 to 0.30 ?m that is ideal for short wavelength recording, and displays superior electromagnetic conversion characteristics. The magnetic recording medium comprises a magnetic layer containing at least a ferromagnetic powder and a binder resin on one surface of a non-magnetic support, wherein the thickness of the magnetic layer is within a range from 0.03 to 0.30 ?m, and the number of concavities with a depth of 30 nm or greater in the surface of the magnetic layer is 5 per 1 cm2 of surface area or less. Preferably, the value of the average depth Rv6 of the surface of the magnetic layer, as measured by a contact type surface roughness meter, is 12 nm or less.

Abstract: A recording layer of a magneto-optical storage medium having a sublayer in accordance with the present invention comprises a recording layer on which information is recorded and stored; and a sublayer formed above or below the recording layer and made up of an alloy containing a transition metal, wherein a magnetic anisotropy energy of the sublayer is exchange-coupled to the recording layer, thereby enhancing a coercive force of the recording layer. The sublayer may be formed in a single-layered structure having one layer, or in a multi-layered structure having a plurality of layers. The sublayer is preferably made up of an alloy containing a transition metal used for the recording layer. According to the present invention, the coercive force of the recording layer can be increased by an exchange coupling effect between the recording layer and its adjacent sublayer, and thus, the stability of the magnetic domain in the recording layer can be improved.

Abstract: A method for forming a planar GMR read-head having a narrow read gap, a narrow track-width and being well insulated from its lower shield. The method requires the formation of a planarized bottom magnetic shield in which concave regions, symmetrically disposed about a track-width region, are filled with a layer of dielectric to provide added insulation. The dielectric filled shield is planarized and an additional planar dielectric layer, a thin planar GMR sensor layer and a planar PMGI layer of uniform thickness is formed on it. A layer of photoresist is deposited on the PMGI layer and a bi-layer lift-off stencil of uniform height above the GMR layer and symmetric overhang regions is formed. The uniformity of the lift-off stencil, which is a result of the planarity of the layers on which it is formed, allows the deposition of conductive lead and biasing layers with controlled overspread.

Abstract: Wirings 2B1 are formed by application of heat treatment after an ink jet system is used to discharge a conductive liquid L onto a provisional substrate 5 having a predetermined repellent property, bonding an insulating layer 4B1 to the wirings 2B1 with an adhesive material 3B1 therebetween, peeling and removing the provisional substrate 5, and bonding and fixing the wirings 2B1 together with the insulating film 4B1 to a main substrate 1 by an adhesive material 3B1.

Abstract: Multilayer magnetic structures comprising composite layers and spacer layers are disclosed. The composite layers include a discontinuous magnetic phase such as Co, Ni or Fe platelets, and a continuous nonmagnetic phase such as C, AlOx, SiOx, ZrOx, Cu, Ag and Au. The spacer layers may comprise Pt, Pd, Au or the like. The composite layers and spacer layers may be made by sputtering. The multilayer structures are useful as magnetic recording layers of magnetic recording media. In one embodiment, the recording media comprises a perpendicular magnetic recording medium including a substrate, a soft magnetic underlayer, a seed layer and the multilayer structure.

Abstract: A process of making a magnetic assembly having at least one magnetic layer and at least one printable substrate layer including the steps of providing a magnetic composition comprising about 70 wt-% to about 95 wt-% of at least one magnetic material and about 5 wt-% to about 30 wt-% of at least one thermoplastic binder, forming the magnetic composition into a magnetic layer, and directly applying the magnetic composition at an elevated temperature in molten form to a printable substrate layer, and to the magnetic composition and any articles made therefrom.

Abstract: The coating apparatus and method enable the coating liquid having been scraped-off to be reused without doing any one of the fluid adjusting treatment and the filtering treatment, while maintaining the features of the scraping-off type of extrusion coater, which is suitable for obtaining a uniform and extremely thin coating film. The coating head is provided with two slits: a coating slit and a recovering slit, and the excessive coating liquid having been discharged through the coating slit and applied to the web is scraped-off and recovered through the recovering slit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing magnetic disks, comprising a magnetic layer, a protective layer, and a lubricating layer on a substrate. In the process, a lubricant alpha comprising a compound denoted by chemical formula HO—CH2—CH(OH)—CH2—O—CH2—CF2(—O—C2F4)p-(O—CF2)q-O—CF2—CH2—O—CH2—CH(OH)—CH2—OH wherein p and q are natural number, and a compound denoted by chemical formula HO—CH2—CF2(—O—C2F4)m-(O—CF2)n-O—CF2—CH2—OH wherein m and n are natural number, is fractionated by molecular weight to prepare a lubricant a having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of from 3,000 to 7,000 and a molecular weight dispersion of less than or equal to 1.2; a lubricant beta comprising a compound denoted by the chemical formula HO—CH2—CF2(—O—C2F4)m-(O—CF2)n-O—CF2—CH2—OH wherein m and n are natural number, is fractionated by molecular weight to prepare a lubricant b having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of from 2,000 to 5,000 and a molecular weight dispersion of less than or equal to 1.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing electric machines comprised of geometrically patterned arrays of permanent magnets, soft magnetic materials, and electrical conductors deposited by kinetic spraying methods directly atop a carrier. The magnets and planar coils of the present invention may be integrally formed atop carriers to form electrical machines such as motors, generators, alternators, solenoids, and actuators. The manufacturing techniques used in this invention may produce highly defined articles that do not require additional shaping or attaching steps. Very high-purity permanent and soft magnetic materials, and conductors with low oxidation are produced.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of an MR sensor including a step of stacking an anti-ferromagnetic layer made of an electrically conductive anti-ferromagnetic material, a step of stacking a pinned layer on the anti-ferromagnetic layer, a step of stacking a nonmagnetic spacer layer on the pinned layer, a step of exposing at least once a surface of the nonmagnetic spacer layer to an oxygen-contained atmosphere, a step of stacking a free layer on the nonmagnetic spacer layer, a magnetization direction of the free layer being free depending upon a magnetic filed applied thereto, and a step of providing the pinned layer a magnetization direction fixed by an exchange coupling between the anti-ferromagnetic layer and the pinned layer.

Abstract: An information-storage media is provided that includes: (a) a substrate disk 312 having first and second opposing surfaces; (b) a first selected layer 304 on the first surface, the first selected selected layer 308 on the second surface, the second selected layer having a second thickness, wherein the first and second selected layers have a different chemical composition than the substrate disk; and (d) an information-storage layer 412 adjacent to one or both of the selected layers. The first and second thicknesses are different to provide an unequal stress distribution across the cross-section of the media.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a patterned polymer film with nanometer scale includes filling particles each having a predetermined size in a pattern provided to a soft polymer mold to prepare an embossed stamp; placing the embossed stamp on a desired polymer film; allowing the embossed stamp placed on the polymer film to stand at temperatures higher than a glass transfer temperature of the polymer film for a predetermined time; and releasing the embossed stamp from the polymer film. Alternatively, the patterned polymer film is obtained by filling particles each having a predetermined size in a pattern provided to a soft polymer mold to prepare an embossed stamp; placing the embossed stamp on a coating layer of a polymer precursor formed on a substrate; curing the coating layer; and releasing the embossed stamp from the cured coating layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium comprises sequential steps of: (a) providing an apparatus for manufacturing the medium; (b) supplying the apparatus with a substrate for the medium; (c) forming a magnetic recording layer on the substrate in a first portion of the apparatus; (d) treating the magnetic recording layer with oxygen gas in a second portion of the apparatus at a sub-atmospheric pressure and for an interval sufficient to provide the resultant medium with at least one of the following, relative to a similar medium manufactured by a similar method but wherein the oxygen treatment of step (d) is not performed: (i) a more negative nucleation field (Hn); (ii) increased remanent squareness (Sr); (iii) increased signal-to-medium noise ratio (SMNR); (iv) narrower switching field distribution (SFD); and (v) decreased thermal decay rate; and (e) forming a protective overcoat layer on the oxygen-treated magnetic recording layer in a third portion of the apparatus.

Abstract: A laminate structure includes an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer, and a seed layer contacting the antiferromagnetic layer on a side opposite to pinned magnetic layer. The seed layer is constituted mainly by face-centered cubic crystals with (111) planes preferentially oriented. The seed layer is preferably non-magnetic. Layers including the antiferromagnetic layer, a free magnetic layer, and layers therebetween, have (111) planes preferentially oriented.

Abstract: Glass/nanoparticle composites are provided which include a glass matrix with a high density of heterologous nanoparticles embedded therein adjacent the outer surfaces of the composite. Preferably, the glass matrix is formed of porous glass and the nanoparticles are yttrium-iron nanocrystals which exhibit the property of altering the polarization of incident electromagnetic radiation; the composites are thus suitable for use in electrooptical recording media. In practice, a glass matrix having suitable porosity is contacted with a colloidal dispersion containing amorphous yttrium-iron nanoparticles in order to embed the nanoparticles within the surface pores of the matrix. The treated glass matrix is then heated under time-temperature conditions to convert the amorphous nanoparticles into a crystalline state while also fusing the glass matrix pores.

Abstract: Currently, the shield-to-shield separation of a spin valve head cannot be below about 800 ?, mainly due to sensor-to-lead shorting problems. This problem has now been overcome by inserting a high permeability, high resistivity, thin film shield on the top or bottom (or both) sides of the spin valve sensor. A permeability greater than about 500 is required together with a resistivity about 5 times greater than that of the free layer and an MrT value for the thin film shield that is 4 times greater than that of the free layer. Five embodiments of the invention are described.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording suitable for mass production and having suppressed spike noise has at least a seed layer, an orientation controlling layer, an antiferromagnetic layer, a soft magnetic layer, a magnetic recording layer, a protective layer, and a liquid lubricant layer formed on a nonmagnetic substrate. The orientation controlling layer is composed of a material comprising at least Ni and Fe, and having at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Nb, and Si. The seed layer is composed of Ta. Further, after depositing the antiferromagnetic layer and the soft magnetic layer, but before depositing the magnetic recording layer, the substrate is heated to a blocking temperature or higher, and thereafter cooled to the blocking temperature or below while applying a static magnetic field in a radial direction of the substrate.

Abstract: The systems, methods and products of the invention include systems and methods for manufacturing servo tracks on a magnetic tape. In one aspect, the invention includes systems for manufacturing magnetic tapes having servo tracks thereon wherein the servo tracks are optically detectable and are capable of being processed by a servo control system for maintaining alignment of a magnetic recording head with the data tracks on the recording side of the magnetic tape. In one practice, the manufacturing systems described herein engrave the servo tracks onto the non-recording side of a magnetic tape by directing a laser beam at the non-recording side of the magnetic tape. In another practice, the manufacturing systems described herein engrave the servo tracks onto the magnetic side of a magnetic tape by directing a laser beam at the magnetic side of the magnetic tape. Such engraved patterns can act as optical servo tracks for maintaining alignment of the recording head with the data tracks on the magnetic tape.

Abstract: A method of forming an A site deficient thin film manganate material on a substrate from corresponding precursor(s), comprising liquid delivery and flash vaporization thereof to yield a precursor vapor, and transporting the precursor vapor to a chemical vapor deposition reactor for formation of an A site deficient manganate thin film on a substrate. The invention also contemplates a device comprising an A site deficient manganate thin film, wherein the manganate layer is formed on the substrate by such a process and is of the formula LaxMyMnO3, where M=Mg, Ca, Sr, or Ba, and (x+y)<1.0, and preferably from about 0.5 to about 0.99.

Abstract: Although it is known that exchange bias can be utilized in abutted junctions for longitudinal stabilization, a relatively large moment is needed to pin down the sensor edges effectively. Due to the inverse dependence of the exchange bias on the magnetic layer thickness, a large exchange bias has been difficult to achieve by the prior art. This problem has been solved by introducing a structure in which the magnetic moment of the bias layer has been approximately doubled by pinning it from both above and below through exchange with antiferromagnetic layers. Additionally, since the antiferromagnetic layer is in direct abutted contact with the free layer, it acts directly to help stabilize the sensor edge, which is an advantage over the traditional magnetostatic pinning that had been used.