Granted Patent B2

US 7,867,406 · App. 11/964,685 · Granted Jan 11, 2011

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A method of fabricating a patterned magnetic recording media, the method comprising:

depositing a soft magnetic underlayer (SUL) on a substrate;

depositing an interlayer on the SUL;

depositing an exchange bridge structure on the interlayer;

depositing a perpendicular magnetic recording layer on the exchange bridge structure;

patterning an etch mask on the perpendicular magnetic recording layer;

performing an etching process to remove the portions of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer exposed by the etch mask to define discrete magnetic islands out of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer; and

removing the etch mask;

wherein the exchange bridge structure is formed from magnetic material and connects the bottoms of the islands.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing an exchange bridge structure comprises:

depositing an exchange bridge layer of magnetic material on the interlayer; and

depositing an exchange control layer of non-magnetic material on the exchange bridge layer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the thickness of the exchange control layer controls the amount of exchange coupling between the exchange bridge layer and the islands.

4. A method of fabricating a patterned magnetic recording media, the method comprising:

depositing a soft magnetic underlayer (SUL) on a substrate;

depositing an interlayer on the SUL;

depositing a perpendicular magnetic recording layer on the interlayer;

patterning an etch mask on the perpendicular magnetic recording layer;

performing an etching process to remove the portions of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer exposed by the etch mask to define discrete magnetic islands out of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer;

depositing an exchange bridge structure between the islands; and

removing the etch mask;

wherein the exchange bridge structure is formed from magnetic material and connects the sides of the islands.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein depositing an exchange bridge structure comprises:

depositing an exchange bridge layer of magnetic material that fills the spaces between the islands.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein depositing an exchange bridge structure comprises:

depositing an exchange bridge layer of magnetic material that partially fills the spaces between the islands; and

depositing a refill material on the exchange bridge layer to fill the remaining area of the spaces.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein depositing an exchange bridge structure comprises:

depositing a refill material that partially fills the spaces between the islands; and

depositing an exchange bridge layer of magnetic material on the refill material to fill the remaining area of the spaces.

Assignments (6)