Patterned storage medium

1. A patterned medium comprising:

a patterned layer comprising a plurality of grooves;

a stop layer disposed on the patterned layer, the stop layer at least partially disposed within the plurality of grooves, a portion of the stop layer disposed on walls of the grooves of the patterned layer; and

a fill layer at least partially disposed within the grooves between portions of the stop layer, the stop layer substantially separating the fill layer from the patterned layer;

wherein the patterned layer comprises a plurality of magnetic regions laterally adjacent the plurality of grooves and wherein the fill layer forms a plurality of non-magnetic regions laterally adjacent the magnetic regions, the medium further comprising a lubrication layer disposed on the stop layer.

2. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the stop layer is disposed on top of the magnetic regions and laterally between the magnetic regions and the non-magnetic regions.

3. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the stop layer substantially forms a barrier between the magnetic layer and any subsequent layers.

4. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the magnetic regions and the lubrication layer is in the range of about 0 nm to about 3 nm.

5. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the top of the patterned layer and the lubrication layer is in the range of about 0 nm to about 1 nm.

6. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant is deposited substantially directly on top of the magnetic regions and the fill layer.

7. The patterned medium of claim 1 , where a top of the fill layer is no more than 2 nm above a top of the stop layer and no more than 6 nm below the top of the stop layer.

8. The patterned medium of claim 1 , where a top of the fill layer is no more than 1 nm above a top of the stop layer and no more than 4 nm below the top of the stop layer.

9. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the stop layer comprises a single layer extending over substantially the entire surface of the patterned layer.

10. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the fill layer is made from a material comprising aluminum and oxygen.

11. The patterned medium of claim 10 , wherein the material of the fill layer comprises AlOx, where x is in the range of between about 1 and about 2.

12. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the fill layer is made from a material comprising titanium and nitrogen.

13. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the fill layer is made from a material comprising tantalum and nitrogen.

14. The patterned medium of claim 1 , wherein the fill layer is made from a material comprising titanium, tantalum, and nitrogen.

15. A patterned medium comprising:

a patterned layer comprising a plurality of grooves, wherein the patterned layer comprises a plurality of magnetic regions laterally adjacent the plurality of grooves;

a stop layer disposed on the patterned layer, the stop layer at least partially disposed within the plurality of grooves, a portion of the stop layer disposed on walls of the grooves of the patterned layer;

a fill layer at least partially disposed within the grooves between portions of the stop layer, wherein the fill layer forms a plurality of non-magnetic regions laterally adjacent the magnetic regions, the stop layer substantially separating the fill layer from the patterned layer, wherein the fill layer is made from one of,

a material comprising titanium and nitrogen,

a material comprising tantalum and nitrogen, or

a material comprising titanium, tantalum, and nitrogen; and a lubrication layer disposed on the stop layer.