Abstract: Systems and methods for adding a cap-layer to magnetic recording media are described. In one embodiment, the method may include depositing a magnetic recording layer over a substrate, depositing an interface layer over the magnetic recording layer, and depositing a carbon overcoat layer over the interface layer. In some cases, sputter deposition is used to deposit at least the interface layer. In some cases, oxygen is used as a background gas of the sputter deposition.

Abstract: A recording medium includes a magnetic recording layer formed on a substrate; a protective layer formed on the magnetic recording layer and having a total thickness that is equal to or greater than 1 nm but equal to or less than 2 nm. The protective layer is composed of a silicon oxide layer formed on the magnetic recording layer and having a thickness of 0.3 nm or more; a silicon layer formed on the silicon oxide layer and having a thickness of 0.2 nm or more; and an amorphous carbon layer formed on the silicon layer and having a thickness of 0.2 nm or more, and having a hydrogen content equal to or greater than 25.6 at % but equal to or less than 43.3 at %. Thus, magnetic spacing between the magnetic recording layer and a magnetic head advantageously may be reduced while maintaining the thermal insulation characteristics.

Abstract: A novel lubricant comprising a perfluoropoyether (PFPE) molecule terminated with a benzene molecule or a functional benzene molecule for a magnetic recording media structure is disclosed. The magnetic recording media structure includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer for recording information disposed over the substrate, a protective overcoat layer for protecting the magnetic recording layer disposed over the magnetic recording layer, and a lubricant layer disposed over the protective overcoat layer and comprising a perfluoropoyether (PFPE) molecule terminated with a benzene molecule or a functional benzene molecule.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic recording medium having at minimum a magnetic layer, a protective layer and a lubricant agent layer on a non-magnetic substrate in sequential order, in which the protective layer is formed of carbon or silicon carbide, the lubricant agent layer is formed by being in contact with the protective layer, contains compound A shown in the below general formula (1) and compound B, in which the mass ratio (A/B) of the compound A with respect to the compound B is in the range of 0.05 to 0.9 and the average film thickness of the lubricant agent layer is 0.8 nm to 2 nm.

Abstract: Apparatus for recording data and method for making the same. In accordance with some embodiments, a magnetic recording layer is adapted to store data along perpendicular magnetic domains. A protective overcoat layer is formed on the magnetic recording layer to substantially protect the magnetic recording layer from environmental effects. The protective overcoat layer is made of carbon intermixed with at least one transition metal, such as but not limited to chromium.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk having a magnetic layer, a protection layer, and a lubrication layer formed on a substrate in this order, a surface free energy ?S of a surface of the magnetic disk derived by an extended Fowkes equation is greater than 0 and no greater than 24 mN/m. ?Sd (dispersion force component of surface free energy) forming the surface free energy ?S is greater than 0 and no greater than 17 mN/m, ?Sp (dipole component of surface free energy) forming the surface free energy ?S is greater than 0 and no greater than 1 mN/m, and ?Sh (hydrogen bonding force component of surface free energy) forming the surface free energy ?S is greater than 0 and no greater than 6 mN/m.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate having sequentially formed thereon a magnetic layer; a protective layer having a thickness ranging from 1.0 nm to 2.5 nm and being composed of an amorphous metal layer having a thickness of at least 0.3 nm formed on the magnetic layer, and a carbon layer composed of amorphous carbon having a thickness of at least 0.3 nm formed on the amorphous metal layer; and a lubricating layer, wherein the carbon layer includes nitrogen atoms in a surface thereof in which a ratio of number of nitrogen atoms to total number of carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms, and oxygen atoms is 14 atomic % or less. Recording performance is improved by reducing the thickness of the protective layer thereof. A method of manufacturing the magnetic recording medium includes performing a nitrogen plasma treatment on a surface of the carbon layer that is effective to adjust the ratio.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, letting (Rf) be main-chain portion C2F4O contained in a Fomblin lubricant and a compound containing a phosphazene ring and (R) be terminal group (CF3—C6H4—O—)5(NP)5—O—CH2CF2 contained in the compound containing a phosphazene ring in a magnetic recording medium, the ratio, which is measured using TOF-SIMS, of the component of (R) to the component of (Rf) on the surface of a lubricant layer is 0.01 to 0.09%.

Abstract: In one general embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a ferromagnetic granular layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and having a granular structure; and a cap layer above said granular layer, the cap layer being a ferromagnetic continuous layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, wherein, near a first side of said granular layer nearest the cap layer. Surfaces of the ferromagnetic grains of said granular layer facing the cap layer each have a domed shape defining undulations along the first side. Indentations in said ferromagnetic grains are filled by the oxide of the grain boundary in a vicinity of the first side of said granular layer. Undulations on a granular layer side of said cap layer are flatter than the undulations of the ferromagnetic grains on the first side of said granular layer.

Abstract: A magnetic data storage medium may include a substrate, a magnetic recording layer, a protective carbon overcoat, and a monolayer covalently bound to carbon atoms adjacent a surface of the protective carbon overcoat. According to this aspect of the disclosure, the monolayer comprises at least one of hydrogen, fluorine, nitrogen, oxygen, and a fluoro-organic molecule. In some embodiments, a surface of a read and recording head may also include a monolayer covalently bound to carbon atoms of a protective carbon overcoat.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium suppresses an anticipated decline in performance due to heating of the lubricant layer and protective layer in thermally assisted recording, and has superior durability and reliability. The magnetic recording medium comprises a layer stack comprising, in order on a nonmagnetic substrate, at least a magnetic recording layer, adiabatic layer, carbon-based protective layer, and lubricant layer.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk including a magnetic layer, a protecting layer and a lubricating layer on a substrate, the lubricating layer is formed by a self assembly monolayer. A material of the self assembly monolayer is a hydrocarbon-based silane agent or a partial fluorinated hydrocarbon-based silane agent. The magnetic layer and the protecting layer (P) are sequentially formed on the substrate, and then the substrate on which the magnetic layer and the protecting layer (P) are formed is immersed in a solution containing the hydrocarbon-based silane agent or the partial fluorinated hydrocarbon-based silane agent, and thus a lubricating layer (L) is formed on the protecting layer (P).

Abstract: A protection layer containing carbon as a major component is deposited by plasma CVD. The protection layer has film quality such that, when a spectrum is obtained by excluding photoluminescence from a Raman spectrum in a wavenumber band from 900 cm?1 to 1800 cm?1 obtained by exciting the protection layer with an argon ion laser beam having a wavelength of 514.5 nm and the spectrum is subjected to waveform separation by the Gaussian function to split a D peak appearing around 1350 cm?1 and a G peak appearing around 1520 cm?1, the ratio Dw/Gw between a half width Dw of the D peak and a half width Gw of the G peak exceeds 0 and is not greater than 2.7.

Abstract: A magnetic disk or magnetic head having a lubrication film of a lubricant bonded in a ratio of at least 99% to a protective carbon film on a magnetic disk member, the lubricant containing a perfluoropolyether compound (Q) wherein A is alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, fluoroalkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, F(CF2CF2CF2O)m-CF2CF2—, F[CF(CF3)CF2O]n-CF(CF3)— or a group of the formula (a) given below, B is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, fluoroalkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, F(CF2CF2CF2O)m-CF2CF2—CH2—, F[CF(CF3)CF2O]n-CF(CF3)—CH2— or a group of the formula (b) given below wherein R is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, fluoroalkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, F(CF2CF2CF2O)m-CF2CF2—CH2— or F[CF(CF3)CF2O]n-CF(CF3)—CH2—, Z is —CF2O(CF2CF2O)rCF2—, —CF2O(CF2CF2O)p(CF2O)qCF2— or —CF2CF2O(CF2CF2CF2O)m-CF2CF2— wherein A1 is alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, fluoroalkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, F(CF2CF2CF2O)m-CF2CF2— or F[CF(CF3)CF2O]n-CF(CF3)—, Z is the same as defined above,

Abstract: A composite lubricant for recording disk media, a recording disk media including a layer of the composite lubricant, and method of manufacturing the same are described. The composite lubricant may include a non-phosphazene component and a phosphazene component where the non-phosphazene component is a difunctional perfluoropolyether compound terminated with first and second polar end groups, the first polar end group comprising a first number of hydroxyls and the second polar end includes a second number of hydroxyls, greater than the first number of hydroxyls. The phosphazene component may be a difunctional perfluoropolyether compound terminated with a phosphazene functional group and with a third polar end group, the third polar end group comprising a third number of hydroxyls equal to the second number of hydroxyls.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to improve corrosion resistance and durability by providing a functional diamond like carbon (DLC) protective layer for a perpendicular magnetic recording medium using a granular magnetic layer. According to one embodiment, when a DLC protective layer that protects a granular magnetic layer of a perpendicular magnetic recording medium is formed using a CVD method, the thickness of a first layer on the granular magnetic layer is set to 7.5 to 25% of the total thickness of the protective layer and a hydrogen content of the first layer is set to 33 to 38%, the thickness of a second layer is set to 50 to 85% of the total thickness of the protective layer and a nitrogen content of the second layer is set to 3 to 7%, and the thickness of a third layer located at the outermost side of the protective layer is set to 7.5 to 25% of the total thickness of the protective layer and a hydrogen content of the third layer is set to 25% or less.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk having a magnetic layer, a protection layer, and a lubrication layer formed on a substrate in this order, a surface free energy ?S of a surface of the magnetic disk derived by an extended Fowkes equation is greater than 0 and no greater than 24 mN/m. ?Sd (dispersion force component of surface free energy) forming the surface free energy ?S is greater than 0 and no greater than 17 mN/m, ?Sp (dipole component of surface free energy) forming the surface free energy ?S is greater than 0 and no greater than 1 mN/m, and ?Sh (hydrogen bonding force component of surface free energy) forming the surface free energy ?S is greater than 0 and no greater than 6 mN/m.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lubricant for recording media that does not readily decompose, and which has high adhesion to recording media, and a magnetic disk that is durable against continuous sliding under high-speed rotation. The present invention provides a lubricant for recording media containing: a perfluoropolyether compound represented by Formula (1), R1—CH2CF2O—(CF2CF2O)m—(CF2O)n—CF2CH2—R2??(1) wherein R1 represents R represents a C1-4 haloalkyl group, R2 represents —OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH, and m and n are each independently 1-30; and another perfluoropolyether compound represented by Formula (2), R1—CH2CF2O—(CF2CF2O)m—(CF2O)n—CF2CH2—R3??(2) wherein R1, m and n are as defined above and R3 represents —OCH2CH(OH)CH2OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH. The present invention also provides a magnetic disk having a lubricating layer essentially consists of such a lubricant.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic recording medium. The magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a recording layer disposed on the substrate for magnetic recording, and a carbon protection layer, which includes a carbon layer and a blocking layer disposed in the carbon layer to block infiltration of external impurities, disposed on the recording layer. Since the blocking layer is disposed in the carbon layer, a thickness of the carbon protection layer can be reduced while a sufficient hardness to protect the recording layer can be ensured, and moreover, a softness of the surface of the carbon protection layer can be improved.

Abstract: A lubricant for improving the durability and reliability of recording media used in hard drives is disclosed. The lubricant comprises a perfluoropolyether main chain with a first end attached to a hexa(trifluoromethylphenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene, a second end attached to a bonding enhancer for enhancing bonding between the lubricant and a carbon-containing layer. The bonding enhancer of the lubricant can contain multiple hydroxyl, amide groups, 2,3-dihydroxy-1-propoxyl, acetamide, methacrylate, methyl methacrylate and glycidyl ether. Some bonding enhancers such as methacrylate, methyl methacrylate or glycidyl ether, can be further activated with ultraviolet light.

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 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 protection layer containing carbon as a major component is deposited by plasma CVD. The protection layer has film quality such that, when a spectrum is obtained by excluding photoluminescence from a Raman spectrum in a wavenumber band from 900 cm?1 to 1800 cm?1 obtained by exciting the protection layer with an argon ion laser beam having a wavelength of 514.5 nm and the spectrum is subjected to waveform separation by the Gaussian function to split a D peak appearing around 1350 cm?1 and a G peak appearing around 1520 cm?1, the ratio Dw/Gw between a half width Dw of the D peak and a half width Gw of the G peak exceeds 0 and is not greater than 2.7.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to lubricants disposed over magnetic storage media, such as rotatable thin film magnetic discs. One embodiment comprises a lubricant compound of a fluoropolyether chain having one or more carbonyl-imide pairs. For example, the carbonyl-imide pair may be located at one end, both ends, and/or in the middle of the fluoropolyether chain.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium in which a recording layer is formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern and recording and reproducing apparatus comprising the magnetic recording medium are disclosed. The magnetic recording medium has a high areal density and high reliability since the occurrence of a crash of a magnetic head is suppressed. The magnetic recording medium comprises a recording layer formed over a substrate in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern to form recording elements as a convex portion of the concavo-convex pattern and a non-magnetic filler element filled in a concave portion between the recording elements. In this configuration, the top surface of the filler element is formed in a shape partially recessed toward the substrate side to form a groove having a width smaller than the width of the concave portion on the surface of the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic disk which has a lubricant layer with excellent heat resistance and high adhesiveness and is free from fly-stiction failure or corrosion failure even at an extremely low flying height of 10 nm or lower. Also disclosed is a magnetic disk which has a lubricant layer with good thermal properties and can exert a stable action over a wide temperature range. The magnetic disk comprises a substrate (1), and a magnetic layer (3), a carbon-containing protective layer (4) and a lubricant layer (5) provided on the substrate (1), wherein the lubricant layer (5) contains a magnetic disk lubricant comprising a compound having a phosphazene ring and two or more hydroxyl and/or carboxyl groups in the molecule.

Abstract: A protection layer containing carbon as a major component is deposited by plasma CVD. The protection layer has film quality such that, when a spectrum is obtained by excluding photoluminescence from a Raman spectrum in a wavenumber band from 900 cm?1 to 1800 cm?1 obtained by exciting the protection layer with an argon ion laser beam having a wavelength of 514.5 nm and the spectrum is subjected to waveform separation by the Gaussian function to split a D peak appearing around 1350 cm?1 and a G peak appearing around 1520 cm?1, the ratio Dw/Gw between a half width Dw of the D peak and a half width Gw of the G peak exceeds 0 and is not greater than 2.7.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprising a lubricant film comprising a photosynthesized lubricant having a single phase composition of at least a lubricant moiety and an additive moiety is disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for corrosion problems in magnetic media resulting from moisture penetrating through the carbon layer into the magnetic layer by diffusion or other methods are overcome by processing the carbon overcoat to stop and/or inhibit the moisture penetration. The process involves removing moisture channels from protective overcoats of thin film magnetic media by irradiating the protective overcoat with ultraviolet (UV) radiation in an inert hydrophobic chemical environment. Afterwards, the thin film magnetic media can be removed into ambient atmosphere where it is coated with a lubricant.

Abstract: In a magnetic recording medium which comprises a substrate (1), a magnetic layer (3) formed on the substrate, a carbon-based protection layer (4) comprising carbon and formed on the magnetic layer, and a lubrication layer (5) formed on the carbon-based protection layer, the carbon-based protection layer comprises a hydrogenated carbon protection layer (4a) facing the magnetic layer and a nitrogenated carbon protection layer (4b) facing the lubrication layer. The hydrogenated carbon protection layer (4a) comprises carbon and hydrogen. The nitrogenated carbon protection layer (4b) includes no hydrogen but comprises carbon and nitrogen.

Abstract: A recording medium, comprising: (a) a substrate having at least one surface; (b) a stacked plurality of thin film layers on the at least one surface and including at least one magnetic or magneto-optical (MO) recording layer; and (c) a protective overcoat layer on an outer surface of an outermost layer of the layer stack, comprising: (i) a first sub-layer layer (c1) of undoped tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) formed by filtered cathodic arc deposition (FCAD) on the outer surface of the outermost layer of the stacked plurality of thin film layers and having a high mass density of carbon (C) atoms greater than about 2.5 gms/cm3; and (ii) a second sub-layer (c2) of nitrogen-doped tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C:N) formed by FCAD on the undoped ta-C layer and having a high mass density of carbon (C) atoms greater than about 2.0 gms/cm3.

Abstract: A granular perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a surface treated magnetic layer comprising an oxidized or nitrogenized boundary layer formed on the surface of the magnetic layer, wherein the magnetic layer comprises granular magnetic regions having oxygen and/or nitrogen-containing grain boundaries. In one embodiment, the granular perpendicular recording medium further comprises a soft magnetic layer below the surface treated granular magnetic layer and a protective overcoat over the surface treated granular magnetic layer. A method of manufacturing a granular perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes depositing a magnetic layer having granular structure over a substrate and subsequently surface treating the granular magnetic layer in an oxygen and/or nitrogen-containing atmosphere to produce an oxidized and/or nitrogenized boundary layer formed on the surface of the granular magnetic layer.

Abstract: Magnetic recording media having a protective carbon overcoat adapted to protect the magnetic recording layer from surface contact events and corrosion. The carbon overcoat includes at least two layers. A first layer is adapted to protect the magnetic recording layer from surface contact events and corrosion. The second layer is disposed on the first layer and is adapted to enhance the bonding of a lubricant to the carbon overcoat and to minimize head degradation. The magnetic recording media of the present invention advantageously enables the use of thin carbon overcoats, enhancing areal density, while maintaining good tribological properties.