Granted Patent B1

US 9,685,184 · App. 14/497,299 · Granted Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A recording medium comprising:

a substrate;

at least one soft magnetic underlayer;

a NiWAlFeX-based magnetic seed layer over said soft magnetic underlayer; and

at least one magnetic recording layer over said NiWAlFeX-based magnetic seed layer;

wherein X comprises an element that is soluble in Ni and has a higher melting point than Ni and is from a group consisting of osmium (Os), platinum (Pt), rhenium (Re), rhodium (Rh), technetium (Tc), and iridium (Ir).

2. The recording medium of claim 1 , wherein X comprises an element from a group consisting of osmium (1-10 at %), platinum (1-30 at %), rhenium (1-15 at %), rhodium (1-40 at %), technetium (1-30 at %), and iridium (1-15 at %).

3. The recording medium of claim 1 , wherein said NiWAlFeX-based magnetic seed layer is formed in direct contact with said soft magnetic underlayer.

4. The recording medium of claim 1 , wherein said soft magnetic underlayer is an antiferromagnetically exchange coupled soft magnetic underlayer laminate.

5. The recording medium of claim 1 , wherein X is selected such that NiX has a lower diffusion coefficient in WAlFe than the diffusion coefficient of Ni in WAlFe.

6. The recording medium of claim 1 , wherein said magnetic recording layer comprises smaller magnetic grains than would a magnetic recording layer grown on a NiFe-based seed layer not comprising X.

7. The recording medium of claim 1 , wherein said magnetic recording layer comprises magnetic grains more uniform in size than would a magnetic recording layer grown on a NiFe-based seed layer not comprising X.

8. The recording medium of claim 1 , wherein said magnetic recording layer comprises more uniform magnetic grain segregation than would a magnetic recording layer grown on a NiFe-based seed layer not comprising X.

9. A data storage device comprising:

a magnetic recording disk medium rotatably mounted on a spindle, said disk medium comprising:

a substrate,

at least one soft magnetic underlayer,

a NiWAlFeX-based magnetic seed layer over said soft magnetic underlayer, and

at least one magnetic recording layer over said NiWAlFeX-based magnetic seed layer,

wherein X comprises an element that is soluble in Ni and has a higher melting point than Ni and is from a group consisting of osmium (Os), platinum (Pt), rhenium (Re), rhodium (Rh), technetium (Tc), and iridium (Ir);

a head slider comprising a magnetic write head configured to write to said disk medium; and

a voice coil motor configured to move said head slider to access portions of said disk medium.

10. The data storage device of claim 9 , wherein X comprises an element from a group consisting of osmium (1-10 at %), platinum (1-30 at %), rhenium (1-15 at %), rhodium (1-40 at %), technetium (1-30 at %), and iridium (1-15 at %).

11. The data storage device of claim 9 , wherein X is selected such that NiX has a lower diffusion coefficient in WalFe than the diffusion coefficient of Ni in WAlFe.

12. The data storage device of claim 9 , wherein said magnetic recording layer of said disk medium comprises smaller magnetic grains than would a magnetic recording layer grown on a NiFe-based seed layer not comprising X.

13. The data storage device of claim 9 , wherein said magnetic recording layer of said disk medium comprises magnetic grains more uniform in size than would a magnetic recording layer grown on a NiFe-based seed layer not comprising X.

14. The data storage device of claim 9 , wherein said magnetic recording layer of said disk medium comprises more uniform magnetic grain segregation than would a magnetic recording layer grown on a NiFe-based seed layer not comprising X.

15. A method of manufacturing a recording medium, the method comprising:

forming at least one antiferromagnetically exchange coupled magnetically soft underlayer laminate over a substrate;

forming a NiWAlFeX-based magnetic seed layer over said at least one magnetically soft underlayer, wherein X comprises an element that has a higher melting point than Ni and is from a group consisting of osmium (Os), platinum (Pt), rhenium (Re), rhodium (Rh), technetium (Tc), and iridium (Ir); and

forming at least one magnetic recording layer over said NiWAlFeX-based magnetic seed layer.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming said NiWAlFeX-based magnetic seed layer includes forming a NiWAlFeX-based magnetic seed layer wherein X comprises an element from a group consisting of osmium (1-10 at %), platinum (1-30 at %), rhenium (1-15 at %), rhodium (1-40 at %), technetium (1-30 at %), and iridium (1-15 at %).

17. A recording medium comprising:

a substrate;

at least one soft magnetic underlayer;

a NiWAlFeRu-based magnetic seed layer over said soft magnetic underlayer and comprising 15-20 atomic percent (at %) Ru; and

at least one magnetic recording layer over said NiWAlFeRu-based magnetic seed layer.

Assignments (9)