Magnetic media having improved magnetic grain size distribution and intergranular segregation
A method and system provide a magnetic recording media usable in a magnetic storage device. The magnetic recording media includes a substrate, at least one intermediate layer and a magnetic recording stack for storing magnetic data. The intermediate layer(s) include a majority phase having a first diffusion constant and a secondary phase having a second diffusion constant greater than the first diffusion constant. The magnetic recording stack residing on the intermediate layer such that the at least one intermediate layer is between the substrate and the magnetic recording stack.
1. A magnetic recording media usable in a magnetic storage device, the magnetic recording media comprising:
a substrate;
a RuCo layer on the substrate;
a first intermediate layer on the RuCo layer and a second intermediate layer on the first intermediate layer, at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer having a majority phase and a secondary phase at a grain boundary thereof, wherein the first intermediate layer further includes an alloy of Ru and at least a first one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y or Zr at a concentration greater than zero and the second intermediate layer includes an alloy of Ru and at least a second one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y or Zr at a concentration greater than zero; and
a magnetic recording stack configured to store magnetic data, the magnetic recording stack residing on the second intermediate layer such that the first and second intermediate layers are between the substrate and the magnetic recording stack.
2. The magnetic recording media of claim 1 , wherein the secondary phase is a eutectic phase.
3. The magnetic recording media of claim 1 , wherein the majority phase comprises a first crystal structure, a first orientation, and a first composition, the secondary phase being a precipitate comprising a second composition different from the first composition, the first orientation and the first crystal structure being substantially unchanged by the secondary phase.
4. The magnetic recording media of claim 3 , wherein the first crystal structure is a hexagonal closed packed structure.
5. The magnetic recording media of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer is an Ru—Mo alloy that includes not more than thirty-five atomic percent Mo.
6. The magnetic recording media of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer additionally includes Co.
7. The magnetic recording media of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer includes (RuCo) 100-w X w , with 100-w and w representing concentrations greater than zero of RuCo and a material X, wherein w is at most 35%, and X is one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y or Zr.
8. The magnetic recording media of claim 1 , wherein both the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer are multi-phase alloy layers.
9. The magnetic recording media of claim 8 , wherein the first one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y or Zr is W and the second one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y or Zr is Mo.
10. The magnetic recording media of claim 1 , further comprising an orientation control layer disposed between the first and second intermediate layers and the substrate.
11. The magnetic recording media of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer includes W at a concentration greater than zero.
12. A magnetic recording media usable in a magnetic storage device, the magnetic recording media comprising:
a substrate;
a soft underlayer on the substrate;
a RuCo layer on the soft underlayer;
a first intermediate layer on the RuCo layer, the first intermediate layer including Ru and at least a first additional element including at least one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y or Zr in a first concentration that is greater than zero such that the first intermediate layer has a first primary phase and a first secondary phase;
a second intermediate layer on the first intermediate layer, the second intermediate layer including Ru and at least a second additional element including at least one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y or Zr in a second concentration that is greater than zero such that the second intermediate layer has a second primary phase and a second secondary phase, wherein compositions of the first and second intermediate layers are different; and
a magnetic recording stack configured to store magnetic data, the magnetic recording stack residing on the second intermediate layer.
13. The magnetic recording media of claim 12 , wherein the first intermediate layer includes an alloy of Ru and one of Mo, Nb, or W.
14. The magnetic recording media of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first and second intermediate layers additionally includes Co.
15. The magnetic recording media of claim 14 , wherein both the first and second intermediate layer additionally include Co.
16. The magnetic recording media of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer includes not more than thirty atomic percent Mo if the first additional material or the second additional material is Mo, wherein the at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer includes not more than twenty atomic percent Nb if the first additional material or the second additional material is Nb, and wherein the at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer includes not more than fifty percent of W if the first additional material or the second additional material is W.
17. A magnetic recording media usable in a magnetic storage device, the magnetic recording media comprising:
a first intermediate layer having a first composition including an alloy of Ru and at least a first additional element including at least one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y or Zr in a first concentration that is greater than zero;
a second intermediate layer on the first intermediate layer, the second intermediate layer having a second composition including an alloy of Ru and at least a second additional element including at least one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y or Zr in a second concentration that is greater than zero, the second composition different to the first composition, wherein at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer has two phases;
a RuCo layer underlying the first intermediate layer; and
a magnetic recording stack configured to store magnetic data, the magnetic recording stack residing on the second intermediate layer.
18. The magnetic recording media of claim 17 wherein the at least one of the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer is an Ru—Mo alloy that includes not more than thirty-five atomic percent Mo.
19. The magnetic recording media of claim 17 further comprising:
a substrate;
a soft underlayer on the substrate; and
an orientation control layer on the soft underlayer, the orientation control layer directly underlying the RuCo layer.
20. The magnetic recording media of claim 17 wherein the RuCo layer includes at least one of Mo, Nb, W, Al, Be, C, Dy, Gd, Ge, Ho, Lu, Nd, Pd, Sm, Tb, Y and Zr.