Method of manufacturing a disk substrate for a magnetic recording medium

1. A method of electroless plating on a glass base plate, the method comprising a series of treatments on a surface of a base plate composed of a glass material, the series of treatments including, in order, at least:

glass activation treatment to increase quantity of silanol groups on the surface of the base plate at least by a factor of two using an aqueous solution of diluted acid,

silane coupling agent treatment,

palladium catalyst treatment,

palladium bonding treatment;

formation of a plating film by means of an electroless plating method,

wherein the glass activation treatment is a treatment using sulfuric acid, nitric acid, or a hydrochloric acid of 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % followed by a treatment using hydrofluoric acid of 0. 0001 wt % to 1 wt %

wherein the silane coupling agent treatment immediately follows the glass activation treatment.

2. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 1 , wherein the silane coupling agent treatment comprises a treatment using a silane coupling agent having a structure represented by a general formula (I):

(C m H 2m+1 O) 3 Si(CH 2 ) n NHR  (I)

where R is selected from H, C p H 2p NH 2 , CONH 2 , and C 6 H 5 , and each of m, n, and p represents a positive integer.

3. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 1 , wherein the palladium catalyst treatment comprises a treatment using a mixed solution of palladium chloride and diluted sodium hydroxide or a mixed solution of palladium chloride and diluted potassium hydroxide.

4. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 1 , wherein the palladium bonding treatment comprises treatment using an aqueous solution of hypophosphorous acid.

5. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 1 , wherein surface roughness Ra of the glass base plate is at most 0.5 nm.

6. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 1 , wherein a plating film composed of a Ni—P alloy is formed by means of the electroless plating method, and then, a heat treatment is conducted in which the rate of temperature rise is controlled.

7. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 6 , wherein the glass base plate with the electroless plating film is maintained at a treatment temperature in the range of 250° C. to 300° C. for at least 1 hour and wherein the time taken to increase the temperature of the glass base plate from room temperature to the treatment temperature is at least 2 hours.

8. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 7 , wherein the plating film is formed of a Ni—P alloy containing phosphorus in a range of 1.0 wt % to 13.0 wt % and to a thickness of at least 1.0 μm by the electroless plating method.

9. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 1 , wherein a silane coupling agent layer is formed on the glass base plate by the silane coupling agent treatment, a palladium catalyst layer is formed on the silane coupling agent layer by the palladium catalyst treatment, and a soft magnetic plating layer is formed on the palladium catalyst layer by the electroless plating method.

10. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 9 , wherein the soft magnetic plating layer is formed of a soft magnetic plating film having a thickness in a range of 0.2 μm to 3 μm and composed of a Co—Ni—P alloy containing phosphorus in a range of 3 at % to 20 at % and at least 45 at % of cobalt in proportion to the number of atoms of cobalt and nickel (Co/(Co+Ni)).

11. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 1 , wherein said plating layer film is Ni—P plating layer or Co—Ni—P plating layer.

12. The method of plating on a glass base plate according to claim 1 , wherein said glass activation treatment increases the quantity of silanol groups on the surface of the base plate at least by a factor of at least three.