Abstract: The present invention provides: a thin film structure including an ordered alloy in which atoms are orderly arranged using an inexpensive substrate; and a method for manufacturing the thin film structure. Specifically, the thin film structure includes a substrate, a plating layer formed on the substrate and made of one selected from the group consisting of NiPMo and NiPW, and an ordered alloy disposed on the plating layer. The method for manufacturing the thin film structure includes the steps of: forming a plating layer on a substrate, the plating layer being made of one selected from the group consisting of NiPMo and NiPW; and forming an ordered alloy on the plating layer. The vacuum degree immediately before the ordered alloy is formed is 7.0×10?7 Pa or less. In the step of forming the ordered alloy, a process gas has an impurity concentration of 5 ppb or lower.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a non-metallic interlayer between a magnetic data storage layer and a heat sink layer, wherein interface thermal resistance between the interlayer and the heat sink layer is capable of reducing heat flow between the heat sink layer and the magnetic data storage layer. The apparatus may be configured as a thin film structure arranged for data storage. The apparatus may also include thermal resistor layer positioned between the interlayer and the heat sink layer.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a magnetic layer, a heat sink layer, and a thermal resistor layer between the magnetic layer and the heat sink layer. The apparatus may be configured as a thin film structure arranged for data storage. The apparatus may also include an interlayer positioned between the magnetic layer and the thermal resistor layer.

Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a soft under layer, a seed layer containing an alloy, placed over the soft under layer, a ruthenium containing layer containing crystalline Ru, directly placed on the seed layer, and a recording layer placed over the ruthenium containing layer. The alloy contains metal atoms bonded to one another with a minimum distance of adjacent atoms. The difference between the minimum distance of the atoms in the alloy and that of the atoms in the crystalline Ru is 2% or less.

Abstract: In a magnetic recording medium which is able to cope with a higher recording density, there is provided a magnetic recording medium which has a higher coercive force and a lower noise, a production method thereof, and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus. The magnetic recording medium is characterized in that at least a nonmagnetic undercoat layer, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer, a magnetic layer, and a protective layer are laminated in this order on a nonmagnetic substrate, and at least one of the layers of the nonmagnetic undercoat layer is constituted by a WV type multicomponent body-centered cubic crystal alloy.

Abstract: A substrate for a perpendicular magnetic recording medium has a soft magnetic underlayer that functions as a soft magnetic backing layer of a perpendicular magnetic recording medium. The substrate for a perpendicular magnetic recording medium has a nonmagnetic base made of Al—Mg alloy or the like. The soft magnetic underlayer is formed of a Ni—P alloy containing phosphorus in a range of 0.5 wt % to 6 wt % formed by electroless plating on the nonmagnetic base. The substrate can also include a nonmagnetic underlayer formed by electroless plating on the base before electroless plating the soft magnetic underlayer. To form the perpendicular magnetic recording medium, the surface of the soft magnetic is textured using free abrasive grains. Thereafter, a nonmagnetic seed layer, a magnetic recording layer, and a protective layer can be formed by sputtering. A soft magnetic supplemental layer also can be formed on the soft magnetic underlayer before forming the seed layer.

Abstract: Ultra smooth as-deposited composite nickel coatings for use in an information storage system are provided. The composite nickel coatings include an electrolessly deposited nickel layer formed on a sputter deposited nickel layer. The composite nickel coatings have an as-deposited surface roughness of less than about 10 ?. Embodiments include formation of the composite nickel coating on a disk, followed by deposition of an underlayer and magnetic layer thereon to form a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A double layer perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a high medium S/N ratio at a recording density of 50 Gb/in2 or higher and a magnetic storage apparatus with a lower error rate and excellent reliability are provided. In a perpendicular magnetic recording medium in which a soft magnetic underlayer 12, an intermediate layer 13, and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer 14 are sequentially formed on a substrate 11, the intermediate layer 13 is made to be a non-magnetic amorphous alloy, in which Ni is a main component and Zr is contained, and the soft magnetic underlayer 12 is constituted of ferromagnetic nan-crystals precipitated by annealing.

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.