Perpendicular magnetic discrete track recording disk
View Patent ↗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.
1. A method of fabrication, comprising:
disposing a soft magnetic underlayer on a substrate;
forming a discrete track recording pattern on the soft magnetic underlayer; and
retaining the soft magnetic underlayer continuous throughout the discrete track recording pattern;
disposing a magnetic recording layer above the soft magnetic underlayer; and
permanently retaining the magnetic recording layer above the soft magnetic underlayer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming comprises a subtractive process.
3. A method of fabrication, comprising:
disposing a soft magnetic underlayer on a substrate; and
forming a discrete track recording pattern on the soft magnetic underlayer using a subtractive process, wherein the soft magnetic underlayer is continuous throughout the discrete track recording pattern, wherein forming further comprises:
coating the soft magnetic underlayer with an embossable layer; and
imprinting the embossable layer with the discrete track recording pattern;
disposing a magnetic recording layer above the soft magnetic underlayer; and
permanently retaining the magnetic recording layer above the soft magnetic underlayer.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein imprinting comprises imprint lithography.
5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising etching the embossable layer down to the soft magnetic underlayer to form a first plurality of raised zones and recessed zones.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein forming further comprises etching into the soft magnetic underlayer to form a second plurality of raised zones and recessed zones in the soft magnetic underlayer that forms the discrete track recording pattern.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein etching comprises plasma etching.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein forming further comprises removing the embossable layer.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming comprises an additive process.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein forming further comprises:
coating the soft magnetic underlayer with an embossable layer; and
imprinting the embossable layer with the discrete track recording pattern.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein imprinting comprises imprint lithography.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising etching the embossable layer down to the soft magnetic underlayer to form a first plurality of raised zones and recessed zones.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein forming further comprises depositing the first plurality of recessed zones with a soft magnetic underlayer material to form a second plurality of raised and recessed zones in the soft magnetic underlayer that forms the discrete track recording pattern.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein depositing comprises electroplating.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein depositing comprises electroless plating.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming further comprises removing the embossable layer.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising depositing a soft magnetic underlayer material on the first plurality of raised and recessed zones by vacuum deposition.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic recording disk comprises a perpendicular magnetic recording disk.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising polishing the substrate.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising texturing the substrate.
21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising polishing the soft magnetic underlayer.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising texturing the soft magnetic underlayer.
23. A method of fabricating a perpendicular recording disk, the method comprising:
forming a discrete track recording pattern on a layer;
disposing a soft magnetic underlayer above the layer to form a continuous soft magnetic underlayer above the discrete track recording pattern; and
disposing a magnetic recording layer above the continuous soft magnetic underlayer; and
permanently retaining the magnetic recording layer above the continuous soft magnetic underlayer.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein forming comprises an additive process.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein forming further comprises:
coating the layer with an embossable layer; and
imprinting the embossable layer with the discrete track recording pattern.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein imprinting comprises imprint lithography.
27. The method of claim 25 , forming further comprises etching the embossable layer down to the layer to form a first plurality of raised zones and recessed zones.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein disposing the soft magnetic underlayer further comprises depositing a soft magnetic underlayer material on the first plurality of raised zones and recessed zones to form a soft magnetic underlayer disposed above the layer.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein depositing comprises electroplating.
30. The method of claim 28 , wherein disposing the soft magnetic underlayer further comprises planarizing the soft magnetic underlayer.
31. The method of claim 27 , wherein disposing the soft magnetic underlayer further comprises depositing the first plurality of recessed zones with a soft magnetic underlayer material to a level substantially equal to the raised zones to form a substantially even surface.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein disposing the soft magnetic underlayer further comprises depositing the surface with an additional soft magnetic underlayer material to form a continuous soft magnetic underlayer.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein disposing the soft magnetic underlayer further comprises planarizing the soft magnetic underlayer.
34. The method of claim 23 , wherein the layer comprises a disk substrate.
35. The method of claim 23 , wherein the layer comprises a NiP layer, and wherein the NiP layer is disposed above a disk substrate.
36. The method of claim 35 , wherein disposing further comprises polishing the NiP layer.
37. The method of claim 36 , wherein disposing further comprises texturing the NiP layer.
38. The method of claim 23 , wherein disposing the soft magnetic underlayer further comprises polishing the soft magnetic underlayer.
39. The method of claim 38 , wherein disposing the soft magnetic underlayer further comprises texturing the soft magnetic underlayer.
40. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discrete track pattern comprises a plurality of tracks and wherein the soft magnetic underlayer is retained continuously throughout the plurality of tracks.
41. The method of claim 23 , wherein the discrete track pattern comprises a plurality of tracks and wherein the soft magnetic underlayer is retained continuously over the plurality of tracks.