1. Fabrication of a high anisotropy nanoscale patterned magnetic recording medium for data storage applications
- Author
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Dmitri Litvinov, Sakhrat Khizroev, Ariel Ruiz, Vishal Parekh, Chunsheng E, Paul Ruchhoeft, Darren Smith, John C. Wolfe, and Erik B. Svedberg
- Subjects
Diffraction ,Materials science ,Fabrication ,Magnetic domain ,business.industry ,Mechanical Engineering ,Bioengineering ,General Chemistry ,Coercivity ,Condensed Matter::Materials Science ,Magnetic anisotropy ,Hysteresis ,Nuclear magnetic resonance ,Domain wall (magnetism) ,Mechanics of Materials ,Optoelectronics ,General Materials Science ,Electrical and Electronic Engineering ,business ,Anisotropy - Abstract
An approach to fabrication of a patterned magnetic recording medium for next generation data storage systems is presented. (Co/Pd)n magnetic multilayers are evaluated as candidates for patterned medium materials for their high and easily controllable magnetic anisotropy. The multilayer films deposited on a Ta seed layer enable high intergranular exchange coupling—an essential feature of a patterned magnetic recording medium. The quality of (Co/Pd)n superlattices was optimized via deposition conditions and monitored using low-angle x-ray diffraction. An estimated in-plane (hard-axis) magnetization saturation field in excess of 40 000 Oe was observed. Vertical (easy-axis) hysteresis loops for as-deposited continuous magnetic multilayers exhibited a low coercivity of 930 Oe, indicating highly uniform (magnetically) films with weak domain wall pinning. Ion-beam proximity lithography was used to pattern magnetic multilayers into 43 nm islands on a 135 nm pitch. Following patterning, easy-axis coercivity increased nearly 15-fold to 12.7 kOe.
- Published
- 2006
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