Magnetic recording medium having high-magnetization-absorbing layer and gradient separator structure

Abstract

Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed to provide heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media including a Co-rich, Pt-doped capping layer and a CoFe-based absorber layer. The absorber layer has a higher magnetization strength than the capping layer. Both layers contain a separation body, such as BN, SiO2, B2O3, and ZrO2. In some examples, the volume percent (vol%) of the separation body in the absorber layer is greater than the vol% of the separation body in the capping layer by, for example, 5% to 15% to provide an increasing gradient of separation body percent. The absorber layer can include two absorber sub-layers, one on top of the other, with the upper sub-layer having a greater vol% of separation body than the lower absorber sub-layer to provide an additional gradient of vol% of separation body. In some examples, an etching process using a sacrificial layer is applied to the absorber layer to reduce the head-to-media spacing.

Description

[0001] According to 35 USC 119's priority claim

[0002] This patent application claims priority to provisional application No. 63 / 774,575, filed on March 19, 2025, entitled “MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIA WITHHIGH MAGNETIZATION ABSORPTION LAYER AND GRADIENT SEGREGANT STRUCTURE,” which is assigned to the assignee of this invention and is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] In some aspects, this disclosure relates to magnetic recording media. More specifically, but not exclusively, this disclosure relates to magnetic recording media configured for use with heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). Background Technology

[0004] Magnetic storage systems, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), are used in a variety of devices in both static and mobile computing environments. Examples of devices incorporating magnetic storage systems include desktop computers, laptop computers, portable hard disk drives, high-definition television (HDTV) receivers, set-top boxes, video game controllers, and portable media players.

[0005] A typical disk drive includes magnetic storage media in the form of one or more platters. A disk typically consists of a few main materials: a substrate material that gives it structure and rigidity, a magnetic recording layer that holds the magnetic pulses or moments storing digital data, and a media protector layer and a lubricant layer to protect the magnetic recording layer. A typical disk drive also includes a read head and a write head, typically in the form of magnetic transducers, which sense and / or change the magnetic moments stored on the recording layer of the disk.

[0006] Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) systems can increase the areal density of information recorded magnetically on various magnetic media. To achieve higher areal densities for magnetic storage, smaller magnetic grain sizes, such as less than 6 nanometers (nm), may be required. In HAMR, high temperatures are applied to the HAMR medium during writing to facilitate recording to small magnetic grains. These high temperatures can be achieved using a near-field transducer with a laser diode coupled to a slider within the HAMR disk drive.

[0007] At least some magnetic recording media intended for use with HAMR employ a capping layer over the grain magnetic recording layer, which facilitates magnetization reversal of the magnetic grains in the grain magnetic recording layer. Both the magnetic recording layer and the capping layer may have separators between the magnetic grains. Aspects of this disclosure relate to configuring one or more additional layers on top of the capping layer, wherein these additional layers also have separators configured to help achieve an overall improvement in the areal density capability (ADC) of the HAMR medium or to achieve other advantages and improvements. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The following is a brief overview of some aspects of this disclosure to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This content is not a comprehensive overview of all contemplated features of this disclosure, nor is it intended to identify key or essential elements of all aspects of this disclosure, nor to depict the scope of any or all aspects of this disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present various concepts of some aspects of this disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows.

[0009] In one aspect, the magnetic recording medium includes: a substrate; a heat sink layer located on the substrate; a magnetic recording layer (MRL) located on the heat sink layer (e.g., FePt MRL); a capping layer located on the MRL, wherein the capping layer comprises a capping layer magnetic material comprising CoPt; and an absorption layer located on the capping layer, wherein the absorption layer comprises CoFe. In some aspects, the capping layer isolate constitutes a first volume percentage (e.g., 30 vol% to 45 vol%) of the capping layer, and the absorption layer isolate constitutes a second volume percentage of the absorption layer, the second volume percentage being, for example, at least 5 vol% larger than the first volume percentage.

[0010] In another aspect, a magnetic recording medium includes: a substrate; a heat sink layer located on the substrate; an MRL located on the heat sink layer; a capping layer located on the MRL, wherein the capping layer comprises a capping layer magnetic material and capping layer separators; and an absorber layer located on the capping layer, wherein the absorber layer comprises an absorber layer magnetic material and absorber layer separators, the absorber layer separators being configured to provide a gradient of volume percentage of the absorber layer separators, wherein the volume percentage increases away from the capping layer. In some aspects, the absorber layer includes a first sublayer and a second sublayer, wherein the volume percentage of separators in the second sublayer is greater than the volume percentage of separators in the first sublayer, for example, by at least 5% volume.

[0011] In another aspect, this disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, the method comprising: providing a substrate; providing a heat sink layer on the substrate; providing an MRL on the heat sink layer; providing a capping layer on the MRL, wherein the capping layer comprises a capping magnetic material including CoPt; and providing an absorption layer on the capping layer, wherein the absorption layer comprises an absorption magnetic material including CoFe.

[0012] These and other aspects of this disclosure will be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description. Other aspects, features, and embodiments of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of specific embodiments of this disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Although features of this disclosure may be discussed with respect to certain embodiments and drawings below, all embodiments of this disclosure may include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more embodiments may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of these features may also be used according to the various embodiments of this disclosure discussed herein. Similarly, although certain embodiments may be discussed below as device embodiments, system embodiments, or method embodiments, it should be understood that such embodiments may be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The specific aspects illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings include a more specific description. It should be understood that these drawings depict only certain aspects of this disclosure and are therefore not intended to be considered as limiting its scope. The disclosure is described and explained with additional specificity and detail using the drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of an exemplary data storage device configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) according to aspects of this disclosure. The exemplary data storage device includes a slider and an HAMR medium having an absorption layer that provides a gradient separation structure.

[0015] Figure 2 Based on the aspects of this disclosure Figure 1 A schematic side view of an exemplary slider and HAMR media.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic side view of an exemplary HAMR medium according to aspects of this disclosure, which includes a capping layer and an absorber layer in addition to other layers, wherein the absorber layer has a separation having a volume percentage (volume %) higher than that of the capping layer separation to provide a gradient separation structure.

[0017] Figure 4This is another schematic side view of an exemplary HAMR medium according to aspects of this disclosure, which includes a capping layer and an absorber layer in addition to other layers, wherein the absorber layer has a separator having a volume percentage higher than that of the capping layer to provide a separator gradient separator structure.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of an exemplary process for manufacturing a HAMR medium including a capping layer and an absorber layer according to aspects of this disclosure, wherein the absorber layer has a separator having a volume percentage higher than that of the capping layer separator to provide a separator gradient separator structure.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic side view of an exemplary HAMR medium according to aspects of this disclosure, which includes, among other layers, a first absorber sublayer and a second absorber sublayer, wherein the volume percentage of the separators in the second sublayer is greater than the volume percentage of the separators in the first sublayer to provide a separator gradient separator structure.

[0020] Figure 7 This is another schematic side view of an exemplary HAMR medium according to aspects of this disclosure, which includes, among other layers, a first absorber sublayer and a second absorber sublayer, wherein the volume percentage of the separators in the second sublayer is greater than the volume percentage of the separators in the first sublayer to provide a separator gradient separator structure.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of an exemplary process for manufacturing an HAMR medium comprising a first absorber sublayer and a second absorber sublayer, according to aspects of this disclosure, wherein the volume percentage of the separator in the second sublayer is greater than the volume percentage of the separator in the first sublayer to provide a separator gradient separator structure.

[0022] Figures 9a to 9j A series of cross-sectional views of a magnetic medium workpiece according to aspects of this disclosure are shown, along with corresponding actions performed on the magnetic medium workpiece during selective etching of the magnetic medium using sacrificial and absorbing layers to reduce the surface roughness of the magnetic medium.

[0023] Figure 10 This illustrates, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, an exemplary magnetization (M) of a HAMR medium having a CoFe-based absorber layer compared to a Co-based absorber layer. s (Charts)

[0024] Figure 11 This is a schematic side view of another exemplary HAMR medium according to aspects of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 12This is a schematic side view of yet another exemplary HAMR medium according to aspects of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of another exemplary process according to an aspect of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0027] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this detailed description. In addition to the exemplary aspects, aspects, and features described above, other aspects, aspects, and features will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. The description of elements in each figure is referential to elements in the preceding figures. The same numbers may refer to the same elements in the figures, including alternative aspects of the same elements.

[0028] In some aspects, this disclosure relates to various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media for providing magnetic recording media, such as heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media, which, among other characteristics, can provide optimized or at least improved magnetic properties within the HAMR medium. It should be noted that HAMR is a type of energy-assisted magnetic recording (EAMR), and is a broad term encompassing both HAMR and microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR). At least some aspects of this disclosure are not limited to HAMR and are applicable to EAMR.

[0029] As mentioned in the introduction above, at least some magnetic recording media used in conjunction with HAMR employ a capping layer above the grain magnetic recording layer (MRL). The capping layer facilitates magnetization reversal of the magnetic grains in the granular MRL. Both the MRL and the capping layer can have separators around and between the magnetic grains. For example, the MRL can be formed of FePt with separators such as C, BN, SiO2, Ag, and TiO2. The capping layer can be made of Co with similar separators. x Fe 100-x (x = 30% to 50%) is formed. Co is known. x Fe 100-x CoFe alloys have the highest saturation magnetization (M). s Therefore, CoFe can be used as a capping layer in HAMR. CoFe can achieve signal improvement relative to other capping compounds, but the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the medium can be degraded due to increased lateral exchange coupling and thermal gradient degradation.

[0030] This paper describes a HAMR medium using a Co-rich Pt-doped capping material with separators such as BN, SiO2, and ZrO2. Co-rich means a CoPt alloy having at least 80 mol% Co and no more than 20 mol% Pt (before the addition of the separators). The HAMR medium also includes an absorber layer formed on top of the capping layer, which can be a CoFe-based layer such as CoFeBN, CoFeSiO2, CoFeB2O3, or CoFeZrO2. First, using these separators helps reduce lateral exchange coupling that might otherwise occur in CoFe. Increased intergranular exchange coupling can contribute significantly to SNR degradation. In this regard, for a fixed grain boundary width, it is known that lateral exchange coupling between grains increases with increasing grain core Ms. Therefore, in the case of CoFe, for a given higher grain core composition Ms, the grain boundaries should be thicker to prevent increased lateral exchange coupling. Second, these separators have near-zero thermal conductivity and act as thermal barriers to improve the thermal gradient of the medium.

[0031] The absorption layer is referred to herein as the absorption layer because, among other functions, it absorbs some light (and heat) from the slider / head during read / write operations. Other terms may be used to refer to the absorption layer. For example, the absorption layer can be alternatively referred to as an additional capping layer because, like the capping layer, one of its functions is to aid in the magnetization reversal of the magnetic grains in the MRL. The absorption layer can also be called an enhancement layer because it tends to enhance the beneficial effects of the capping layer. It should be noted that some HAMR media include nonmagnetic absorption layers formed of W, Ta, or Ru, which are designed to enhance optical absorption, manage heat, protect the underlying layers, and provide compatibility with C protective layers. The absorption layer described herein may also serve some or all of these functions.

[0032] In some aspects, the disclosed absorber layer has at least one magnetic material (e.g., Fe) different from the underlying capping layer (e.g., Pt), and the capping layer has at least one magnetic material (e.g., Co) different from the underlying MRL (e.g., Fe). In some aspects, the absorber layer may have at least one separation body different from the separation body of the underlying capping layer, and the capping layer may have at least one separation body different from the separation body of the underlying MRL. It is also noted that the separation bodies of each layer are formed of a material different from the recording grains used as separation bodies in each layer.

[0033] In some aspects, the absorbing layer has a higher magnetization than the capping layer because the absorbing layer contains CoFe and the capping layer contains CoPt (since Fe is magnetic, while Pt is not). In some examples, the magnetization of the CoFe-based absorbing layer exceeds 900 kA / m, while the magnetization of the CoPt-based capping layer is 700 kA / m. In some aspects, the capping layer may also contain CoFe as a complement or alternative to CoPt. If both the capping and absorbing layers contain CoFe, the relative molar percentages of Co and Fe in the two layers can differ from each other. For example, there may be less Fe in the CoFe of the capping layer than in the CoFe of the absorbing layer. Furthermore, different separators can be used in the layers, and separators with different volume percentages (volume %) can be provided.

[0034] In some aspects, the volume percentage (volume %) of the isolates (BN, SiO2, B2O3, and ZrO2) within the absorber layer is, for example, 5% to 15% larger than the volume % of the isolates (BN, SiO2, B2O3, and ZrO2) within the capping layer. This provides a significantly increased gradient of the isolate percentage perpendicularly through the absorber layer from the capping layer. By making the isolate volume % of the capping layer at least 5% to 15% higher than the isolate volume % of the capping alloy, the resulting HAMR dielectric can achieve improvements in low-frequency read / write signals, thermal gradients, read and write SNR, and provide overall ADC gain. Some exemplary examples of absorber layer materials include 24.6Co-36.9Fe-38.5BN, 26Co-39Fe-35BN, 30Co-45Fe-25ZrO2, 31Co-46.5Fe-22.5-ZrO2, 34Co-51Fe-15B2O3, 32Co-48Fe-20SiO2, and 33Co-49.5Fe-17.5SiO2. These materials typically exhibit high magnetization due to the Co-Fe in the alloy (although slightly mitigated by the separation). These materials also provide generally high magnetic saturation (M0) during read / write operations. S High M S This enables strong vertical exchange coupling with the underlying capping layer and MRL, allowing the magnetic grains in the absorption layer, capping layer, and MRL to switch simultaneously in response to the applied magnetic field during read / write operations. Note that the absorber layer may differ from the capping layer. For example, the capping layer can use BN, while the absorber layer can use SiO2. These are just a few examples.

[0035] Furthermore, in some aspects, the absorber layer is configured with two absorber sublayers, one on top of the other, wherein the upper absorber sublayer has a larger separation volume percentage (e.g., +5 volume percentage) than the lower absorber sublayer, and the lower absorber sublayer subsequently has a larger separation volume percentage (e.g., +5 volume percentage) than the capping layer. This configuration provides an additional separation volume percentage gradient, which can enhance the benefits of the gradient separation structure. The separation volume of the upper absorber sublayer may differ from that of the lower absorber sublayer, which in turn may differ from the separation volume of the capping layer and the separation volume of the MRL. For example, the capping layer can be BN, the upper absorber layer can be SiO2, and the lower absorber layer can be ZrO2. These are just a few examples.

[0036] In some aspects, a sacrificial layer may be deposited on an absorber layer and then etched away to reduce the roughness on top of the absorber layer. In this regard, the head-to-medium spacing should be minimized to achieve acceptable or optimized recording performance in the magnetic medium. Due to the inhomogeneous (e.g., rough) topology of the magnetic grains grown at the high temperatures used for HAMR, there are challenges in reducing the roughness at the medium surface (e.g., the medium interface) above the magnetic grains. Aspects of this disclosure relate to HAMR media comprising a sacrificial layer and an absorber layer, which are etched to reduce roughness, thereby increasing the smoothness at the medium interface. The sacrificial layer is configured to ensure an etch rate that allows for selective etching (e.g., etching only selected components of the medium, such as portions of the sacrificial and absorber layers). The sacrificial layer may be deposited on the absorber layer and may be retained along the grain boundaries of the absorber layer after etching (e.g., plasma etching using an inert gas). The remaining portion of the sacrificial layer may form a discontinuous layer comprising multiple segments positioned along the grain boundaries of the absorber layer. The sacrificial layer may be made of a material different from the material of the capping layer or the material of the protective layer deposited on the etched absorber layer (e.g., a non-magnetic material). In one aspect, the sacrificial layer may be embedded in the absorber layer at a location corresponding to a grain boundary, wherein the top surface of the absorber layer (particularly the absorber grains) and the top surface of the sacrificial layer are substantially coplanar.

[0037] Exemplary Examples and Implementation Schemes

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of an exemplary data storage device (e.g., a disk drive or magnetic recording device) configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) according to aspects of this disclosure. The exemplary data storage device includes a slider 108 and an HAMR medium 102 having a highly magnetized absorption layer configured with a gradient separation structure. Laser ( Figure 1 Not visible in the text, but can be seen in the references. Figure 2Positioning (114) using a head / slider 108. The disk drive 100 may include one or more disks / media 102 for storing data. The disks / media 102 reside on a spindle assembly 104, which is mounted to a drive housing 106. Data can be stored along tracks in the magnetic recording layer of the disk 102. Reading and writing of data are accomplished using a head 108 (slider), which may have both read and write elements (108a and 108b). The write element 108a is used to change the properties of the magnetic recording layer of the disk 102 and thus write information to it. In one aspect, the head 108 may have magnetoresistive (MR) based elements, such as tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) elements for reading and write poles with coils energized for writing. In operation, a spindle motor (not shown) rotates the spindle assembly 104, and thus the disk 102, to position the head 108 at a specific location along the desired disk track 107. The position of head 108 relative to disk 102 can be controlled by control circuitry system 110 (e.g., microcontroller). It should be noted that while an exemplary HAMR system is shown, at least some aspects of this disclosure can be used in other HAMR or EAMR magnetic data recording systems or non-HAMR or non-EAMR magnetic data recording systems, including shingled write magnetic recording (SMR) media, perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) media, or microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) media.

[0039] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic side view of the slider 108 and the magnetic recording medium 102. The magnetic recording medium 102 includes a highly magnetized absorption layer configured with a gradient separation structure (which in... Figure 2 Not visible in the text, but see [link / reference] Figure 3 The slider 108 may include a sub-base 112 attached to the top surface of the slider 108. The laser 114 may be attached to the sub-base 112 and possibly to the slider 108. The slider 108 includes a writing element (e.g., a writer) 108a and a reading element (e.g., a reader) 108b, positioned along the air bearing surface (ABS) 108c of the slider to write information to and read information from the medium 102, respectively. In other aspects, the slider may also include a layer of Si or a Si cladding 120. This layer is optional.

[0040] In operation, laser 114 is configured to generate and direct light energy into a waveguide (e.g., along the dashed line) in the slider, which directs the light to a near-field transducer (NFT) 122 near the air bearing surface (e.g., the bottom surface) 108c of the slider 108. Upon receiving light from laser 114 via the waveguide, NFT 122 generates localized heat that heats a portion of the medium 102 within or near both the write element 108a and read element 108b. Recording temperatures are expected to be in the range of approximately 350°C to 400°C. Figure 2 In the illustrated aspect, the laser-directed light is positioned within the writer 108a and near the trailing edge of the slider. In other aspects, the laser-directed light can be positioned between the writer 108a and the reader 108b. Figure 1 and Figure 2 A specific example of an HAMR system is shown. In other examples, the magnetic recording medium 102 can be used in other suitable HAMR systems (e.g., with additional sliders configured for HAMR).

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic side view of an exemplary HAMR medium 300 according to aspects of this disclosure, which includes, in addition to other layers, a high magnetization absorption layer 314 and a capping layer 312, the high magnetization absorption layer and the capping layer providing a gradient separation structure. Figure 3 The HAMR medium 300 has a stacked structure having a substrate 302 at the bottom / base layer, a soft underlayer (SUL) 304 on the substrate 302, a heat sink layer 306 on the SUL 304 (which may be formed, for example, by Cr), a seed layer 308 on the heat sink layer 306, a magnetic recording layer (MRL) 310 on the seed layer 308 (which may be formed by magnetic grains (e.g., FePt) and one or more separators), a capping layer 312 on the MRL 310 (which may be formed by Co-rich CoPt having one or more separators), an absorption layer 314 on the capping layer 312, a protective layer 316 on the absorption layer 314 (e.g., made of diamond-like carbon (DLC) or other suitable material), and a lubricant layer 318 on the protective layer 316.

[0042] The absorber layer 314 may, for example, be formed of CoFe with a volume percentage greater than that of the capping layer 312. For example, the volume percentage of the absorber layer 314 with a volume percentage greater than that of the capping layer 312 may be 5% to 15% greater, and the volume percentage of the capping layer with a volume percentage greater than that of the capping layer 312 may be, for example, in the range of 30% to 45% volume percentage. For example, if the capping layer 312 has a volume percentage of 30% capping layer material, the absorber layer 314 with a volume percentage greater than 35% absorber layer material is configured to provide a volume percentage gradient greater than 5%. In other examples, as described below, the absorber layer 314 has an internal volume percentage gradient, which is achieved, for example, by forming two sublayers with different volume percentages of volume percentage within the absorber layer. Furthermore, one or more sacrificial layers may be used during manufacturing, and then these sacrificial layers are etched away, leaving discontinuous sacrificial layer portions.

[0043] In some aspects, the HAMR medium 300 may include additional layers. In one example, the HAMR medium 300 also includes an adhesion layer (which may be formed, for example, by NiTa) on the substrate 302 and under the SUL 304. In one example, the HAMR medium 300 also includes a (heat dissipation) seed layer (which may be formed, for example, by RuAl) on the SUL 304 and under the heat sink layer 306.

[0044] It should be noted that, as used herein, the terms "above," "below," "on," and "between" refer to the relative position of one layer with respect to other layers. Therefore, a layer deposited or disposed on, above, or below another layer may be in direct contact with that layer, or may have one or more intermediate layers. Furthermore, a layer deposited or disposed between layers may be in direct contact with the layers, or may have one or more intermediate layers.

[0045] Figure 4 This is a schematic side view of an exemplary HAMR medium 400 according to aspects of this disclosure, which includes a single absorber layer 414 and a capping layer 412 in addition to other layers. Similar to... Figure 3 HAMR media, Figure 4The HAMR medium 400 has a stacked structure having a substrate 402 at the bottom / base layer, a soft / amorphous underlayer (SUL) 404 on the substrate 402, a heat sink layer 406 (which may be made of Cr, for example) on the SUL 404, a seed layer 408 on the heat sink layer 406, a magnetic recording layer (MRL) 410 on the seed layer 408 (which may be formed of magnetic grains 410a (e.g., FePt) and one or more discrete bodies 410b), and a magnetic recording layer (MRL) 410 on the MRL. A capping layer 412 on the MRL grain 410 (which may be made of magnetic material covering grain 412a (e.g., CoPt) and one or more isolates 412b (e.g., BN, SiO2, B2O3, and ZrO2) on the MRL grain 410a), an absorption layer 414 on the capping layer 412 (which may be formed of magnetic material 414a (absorbing grain, e.g., CoFe) on the covering grain 412a and one or more isolates 414b (e.g., BN, SiO2, B2O3, and ZrO2) on the sacrificial layer 414), a protective layer 416 on the sacrificial layer 414 (e.g., made of diamond-like carbon (DLC) or other suitable material), and a lubricant layer 418 on the protective layer 416. The volume percentage (volume %) of isolates 414b in the absorption layer is, for example, 5% to 15% greater than the volume % of isolates 412b in the capping layer. This provides a significant increase in the percentage of separated volumes perpendicularly through the absorber layer 414 from the capping layer 412. (Note that this figure is not drawn to scale and does not necessarily illustrate the listed percentage differences.) In examples where one or more sacrificial layers are used during fabrication and then etched away, fragments of the sacrificial layers remain after etching, which in... Figure 4 (Not shown in the image).

[0046] In some aspects, the layers in the dielectric may have the following thicknesses: substrate 302 / 402 thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 0.635 mm; SUL 304 / 404 thickness in the range of 85 nm to 130 nm; heat sink layer 306 / 406 thickness in the range of 55 nm to 100 nm; seed layer 308 / 408 thickness in the range of 1 nm to 4 nm; MRL 310 / 410 thickness in the range of 8 nm to 11 nm; capping layer 312 / 412 thickness in the range of 1 nm to 3 nm; absorption layer 314 / 414 less than 1.0 nm, and for example in the range of 0.25 nm to 1.0 nm; protective layer 416 thickness in the range of 20 Å to 50 Å; lubricant layer thickness (if provided) in the range of 6 Å to 9 Å. In addition, based on the specific characteristics of the system (such as its operating temperature, desired data surface density, etc.), conventional experiments can be used to determine the appropriate or preferred layer thickness and / or appropriate or preferred percentage concentration of compounds for use in a practical HAMR system.

[0047] In some examples, substrate 302 / 402 has an outer diameter (i.e., OD) of approximately 97 mm and a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm. In other examples, the OD may be 95 mm or 95.1 mm. (Generally speaking, such disks are referred to as "3.5-inch" disks). In some aspects, substrate 302 / 402 may be made of one or more materials such as glass, glass-ceramic, and / or combinations thereof.

[0048] In some aspects, the medium also includes an adhesive layer (which may alternatively be referred to as a pre-seed layer) used to reduce delamination of the layers or films deposited above the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer may be a metallic alloy, such as NiTa, CrTi, etc.

[0049] In some aspects, SUL 304 / 404 may be made of one or more materials, such as Co, Fe, Mo, Ta, Nb, B, Cr, or other soft magnetic materials, or combinations thereof. SUL 304 / 404 may include amorphous compounds with one or more elements from Mo, Nb, Ta, W, and B added, or combinations of Co and Fe (e.g., CoFe alloys). SUL 304 / 404 may be configured to support magnetization of the magnetic recording layer structure 310 / 410 during data storage operations. More specifically, SUL 304 / 404 may be configured to provide a return path to the magnetic field applied during write operations.

[0050] In some aspects, the medium also includes a (heat sink) seed layer to create a growth template for subsequently deposited films (including heat sink layers 306 / 406 and MRL 310 / 410). Functional objectives of the (heat sink) seed layer include small grain size and good crystallographic texture, both of which may be required for good medium recording performance.

[0051] In some respects, the heat sink layer 306 / 406 may be made of one or more materials such as Cr (as shown) or Ag, Al, Au, Cu, Mo, Ru, W, CuZr, MoCu, AgPd, CrRu, CrV, CrW, CrMo, CrNd, NiAl, NiTa, combinations thereof and / or other suitable materials known in the art.

[0052] In some aspects, the dielectric also includes a thermal resistance layer deposited directly on the heat sink layer 306 / 406 to provide thermal resistance to the heat sink layer. The thermal resistance layer may be etched to reduce roughness.

[0053] In some aspects, a seed layer 308 / 408 is provided as a seed layer for the MRL 310 / 410 to provide a thermal barrier and aid nucleation, thereby allowing appropriate crystal growth within the MRL 310 / 410, resulting in a MRL 310 / 410 with a good crystallographic texture featuring small grains. The seed layer 308 / 408 may be made of MgOTiO (MTO) or possibly MgO. In one aspect, multiple layers (e.g., multiple MTO layers or a combination of MgO and MTO layers) may be used to implement the seed layer.

[0054] In some aspects, MRL 310 / 410 includes one or more magnetic recording layers for magnetically storing data. Figure 3 and Figure 4 (Multiple layers not explicitly shown). For example, MRL 310 / 410 may include magnetic recording sublayers and exchange control sublayers (ECLs). These sublayers together form the MRL structure 310 / 410, which may be, for example, 100 Å to 200 Å thick. In some aspects, MRL 310 / 410 may be made of FePt. In some aspects, MRL 310 may alternatively be made of an alloy selected from FePtY, where Y is a material selected from Cu, Ni, and combinations thereof. In other aspects, MRL 310 / 410 may alternatively be made of a CoPt alloy. In some aspects, MRL 310 / 410 may be formed from highly anisotropic L10 FePt with separators (such as C, BN, SiO2, Ag, TiO2, and / or combinations thereof). In some aspects, the MRL is a four-layer MRL. Each layer of the MRL may have separators, wherein the amount of separators varies between layers within the MRL.

[0055] In one aspect, the protective layer 316 / 416 is made of amorphous hydrogenated carbon such as DLC or non-hydrogenated tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C). In other aspects, the lubricant layer may be made of polymer-based lubricant materials.

[0056] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of an exemplary process 500 for manufacturing a HAMR medium including an absorber layer and a capping layer, according to an aspect of this disclosure. In one aspect, process 500 can be used to manufacture any of the HAMR media described above, including, for example, HAMR media 102, 300, and 400.

[0057] At block 502, the process provides a substrate (e.g., 302, 402). At block 504, the process provides a heat sink layer (e.g., 306, 406) on the substrate. In one aspect, the process may additionally provide a soft magnetic underlayer (SUL, e.g., 304, 404) on the substrate and provide a heat sink layer on the SUL. At block 506, the process provides a magnetic recording layer (MRL, e.g., 310, 410) on the heat sink layer. In one aspect, the process may additionally provide a seed layer (e.g., 308, 408) on the heat sink layer and then provide the MRL on the seed layer. At block 508, the process provides a capping layer (e.g., 312, 412) with separators (e.g., 412b) on the MRL. The separators of the capping layer form a volume percentage of the capping layer, for example, in the range of 30% to 45% (but sometimes in a wider range, for example, 10% to 50%). At block 502, the process provides an absorbent layer (e.g., 314, 414) with separators (e.g., 414b) on the capping layer, wherein the separators in the absorbent layer have a higher volume percentage than the separators in the capping layer. For example, the volume percentage of the separators in the absorbent layer could be 35%, while the volume percentage of the capping layer could be 30%. Therefore, there is a significantly increasing gradient in the percentage of separators perpendicularly passing through the absorbent layer from the capping layer. At block 512, the process provides a protective layer (e.g., 316, 416) on the absorbent layer. At optional block 514, the process provides a lubricant layer (e.g., 318, 418) on the protective layer. Exemplary materials for the various layers are as described above.

[0058] With respect to the process described herein, the process may, in some cases, perform a sequence of actions in a different order. In other cases, the process may skip one or more actions. In still other cases, one or more actions may be performed simultaneously. In some cases, additional actions may be performed. Unless otherwise specified, various deposition processes or subprocesses may be used to perform (or provide) the deposition of at least some of these layers, including but not limited to physical vapor deposition (PVD), sputtering deposition and ion beam deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and other forms of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), and atomic layer chemical vapor deposition (ALCVD). In other cases, other suitable deposition techniques known in the art may also be used.

[0059] Table I illustrates exemplary compounds that can be used as absorbent layers, including the volume percentage of the compound isolate and suitable deposition temperatures.

[0060]

[0061] Table I

[0062] Figure 6 This is a schematic side view of an exemplary HAMR medium 600 according to aspects of this disclosure, which, in addition to other layers, includes a pair of highly magnetized absorber sublayers 614 and 615 and a capping layer 612, the pair of highly magnetized absorber sublayers and the capping layer providing a gradient separation volume structure. The two absorber sublayers may alternatively be referred to as two distinct absorber layers. Figure 6 The HAMR medium 600 has a stacked structure having a substrate 602 at the bottom / base layer, a soft underlayer (SUL) 604 on the substrate 602, a heat sink layer 606 on the SUL 604 (which may be formed, for example, by Cr), a seed layer 608 on the heat sink layer 606, a magnetic recording layer (MRL) 610 on the seed layer 608 (which may be formed by magnetic grains (e.g., FePt) and one or more separators), a capping layer 612 on the MRL 610 (e.g., Co-rich CoPt with one or more separators), a first or lower absorber layer 614 on the capping layer 612, a second or upper absorber layer 615 on the lower absorber layer 614, a protective layer 616 on the upper absorber layer 615 (e.g., made of DLC or other suitable material), and a lubricant layer 618 on the protective layer 616.

[0063] The lower absorber layer 614 may, for example, be formed of CoFe with separated bodies, the volume percentage of which is higher than that of the separated bodies in the capping layer 612. For example, the volume percentage of the separated bodies in the absorber layer 614 may be 5% to 15% greater than that of the separated bodies in the capping layer 612. For example, if the separated bodies in the capping layer 612 provide 5% by volume of capping layer material, then the separated bodies in the lower absorber layer 614 are configured to provide more than 10% by volume of absorber layer material, thereby providing a volume percentage gradient of at least 5% by volume. Similarly, the upper absorber layer 615 may, for example, be formed of CoFe with separated bodies, the volume percentage of which is higher than that of the separated bodies in the lower absorber layer 614. For example, the volume percentage of the separated bodies in the upper absorber layer 614 may be 5% to 15% greater than that of the separated bodies in the lower absorber layer 614. For example, if the separator of the lower absorber layer 614 provides 35 vol% of the lower absorber layer material, then the separator of the upper absorber layer 615 is configured to provide 40 vol% or more of the absorber layer material, thereby providing a further volume percentage gradient of at least 5 vol%. Furthermore, one or more sacrificial layers can be used during fabrication, and then these one or more sacrificial layers are etched away, leaving... Figure 6 The discontinuous sacrificial layer portion is not shown in the figure.

[0064] In some aspects, the HAMR dielectric 600 may include additional layers. In one example, the HAMR dielectric 600 also includes an adhesion layer (which may be formed, for example, by NiTa) on the substrate 602 and under the SUL 604. In one example, the HAMR dielectric 600 also includes a (heat sink) seed layer (which may be formed, for example, by RuAl) on the SUL 604 and under the heat sink layer 606.

[0065] Figure 7 This is a schematic side view of an exemplary HAMR medium 700 according to aspects of this disclosure, which includes, among other layers, a pair of absorber sublayers 714 and a capping layer 712. The pair of absorber sublayers 714 may be referred to herein as a lower absorber sublayer and an upper absorber sublayer. Similar to... Figure 6 HAMR media, Figure 7 The HAMR medium 700 has a stacked structure having a substrate 702 at the bottom layer / base layer, a SUL 704 on the substrate 702, a heat sink layer 706 on the SUL 704 (which may be made of, for example, Cr), a seed layer 708 on the heat sink layer 706, a magnetic recording layer (MRL) 710 on the seed layer 708 (which may be formed of magnetic grains 710a (e.g., FePt) and one or more separators 710b), and a capping layer 712 on the MRL 710 (which may be formed of magnetic material capping grains 710a (e.g., CoPt) and one or more separators 712b (e.g., BN, SiO2, B2O3 and ZrO2) on the MRL grains 712a). The absorber layer 714 has a lower or first sublayer comprising magnetic absorber grains 714a (formed on the capping grains 712a of the capping layer 712, e.g., CoFe) separated by separators 714b (lower sublayer separators formed on the separators 712b of the capping layer 712). The absorber layer 714 has an upper or second sublayer comprising magnetic absorber grains 714d (formed on the lower sublayer grains 714a, e.g., CoFe) separated by separators 714c (upper sublayer separators formed on the lower sublayer separators 714b, e.g., BN, SiO2, B2O3, and ZrO2). A protective layer 716 (e.g., made of diamond-like carbon (DLC) or other suitable material) is located on top of the upper absorber sublayer. The lubricant layer 718 is located on the protective layer 716.

[0066] The volume percentage (volume %) of the isolate 714b within the upper absorber layer is, for example, 5% to 15% larger than the volume % of the isolate 714c within the lower absorber layer. This provides a significant increase in the gradient of the isolate percentage perpendicularly through the upper absorber layer from the lower absorber layer. Further still, the volume percentage (volume %) of the isolate 714c within the lower absorber layer is, for example, 5% to 15% larger than the volume % of the isolate 712b within the capping layer 712. This provides an additional increase in the gradient of the isolate percentage perpendicularly through the capping layer from the lower absorber layer and through the upper absorber layer. (Note that the figures in this document are not drawn to scale and do not necessarily illustrate the percentage differences listed.) In examples where one or more sacrificial layers are used during fabrication and then etched away, fragments of the sacrificial layers remain after etching, which in... Figure 7 (Not shown in the image). The exemplary materials and layer thicknesses listed above for HAMR media are also applicable to... Figure 7 In some examples, the absorption layer 714 can be 1 nm, with each sublayer being 0.5 nm. In other examples, the absorption layer 714 can be larger than 1 nm (e.g., 1.5 nm), with each sublayer being 0.75 nm. These are just some examples.

[0067] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of an exemplary process 800 for manufacturing a HAMR medium comprising a pair of absorber sublayers and a capping layer, according to an aspect of this disclosure. In one aspect, process 800 can be used to manufacture the aforementioned HAMR medium, including, for example, HAMR media 600 and 700.

[0068] At block 802, the process provides a substrate (e.g., 602, 702). At block 804, the process provides a heat sink layer (e.g., 606, 706) on the substrate. In one aspect, the process may additionally provide a soft magnetic underlayer (SUL, e.g., 604, 704) on the substrate and provide a heat sink layer on the SUL. At block 806, the process provides a magnetic recording layer (MRL, e.g., 610, 710) on the heat sink layer. In one aspect, the process may additionally provide a seed layer (e.g., 608, 708) on the heat sink layer and then provide the MRL on the seed layer. At block 808, the process provides a capping layer (e.g., 612, 712) with separators (e.g., 712b) on the MRL. The separators of the capping layer form % of the volume of the capping layer, for example, 5% by volume. At frame 810, the process provides a first or lower absorber layer (e.g., 614, 714) with a separator (e.g., 714b) on the capping layer, wherein the separator of the lower absorber layer has a higher volume percentage than the volume percentage of the separator in the capping layer. For example, the volume percentage of the separator in the absorber layer may be 35% and the volume percentage of the capping layer may be 30%.

[0069] At block 811, the process provides a second or upper absorber layer (e.g., 614, 714) with a separator (e.g., 714c) on the lower absorber layer, wherein the separator of the upper absorber layer has a higher volume percentage than the separator of the lower absorber layer. For example, the volume percentage of the separator of the upper absorber layer may be 35% and the volume percentage of the absorber of the lower absorber layer may be 30%.

[0070] Therefore, there is a significant increasing gradient in the percentage of isolates that pass vertically through the two absorber sublayers from the capping layer.

[0071] At block 812, the process provides a protective layer (e.g., 616, 716) on the upper absorber sublayer. At optional block 814, the process provides a lubricant layer (e.g., 618, 618) on the protective layer. Exemplary materials for the various layers are as described above.

[0072] In some aspects, a sacrificial layer can be used during the fabrication of a dielectric material using selective etching with a sacrificial layer and an absorber layer. This is described below in an example with a single absorber layer (instead of two sublayers).

[0073] Figures 9a to 9i A series of cross-sectional views of a magnetic medium workpiece 900 according to aspects of this disclosure are shown, along with corresponding actions performed on the magnetic medium workpiece 900 during selective etching using a sacrificial layer and an absorbing layer to reduce the surface roughness of the magnetic medium.

[0074] exist Figure 9a In this process, the first step is to provide a (950) substrate 902. The substrate 902 can be implemented using any of the substrates 302 / 402 described above.

[0075] exist Figure 9b In this process, a soft sublayer 904 (952) is provided on a substrate 902. The soft sublayer 904 may be made of any of the materials described above for soft sublayers 304 / 404. In one aspect, the process deposits the soft sublayer 904 using any of the deposition techniques described above.

[0076] exist Figure 9c In this process, a heat sink layer 906 (954) is provided on the soft underlayer 904. The heat sink layer 906 may be made of any of the materials described above for heat sink layers 306 / 406. In one aspect, the process uses any of the deposition techniques described above to deposit the heat sink layer 906.

[0077] exist Figure 9dIn this process, a seed layer 908 (956) is provided on the heat sink layer 906. The seed layer 908 may be made of any of the materials described above for seed layers 308 / 408. In one aspect, the process uses any of the deposition techniques described above to deposit the seed layer 908.

[0078] exist Figure 9e In this process, a magnetic recording layer (MRL) 910 is provided on a seed layer 908 (958). The MRL 910 can be made of any of the materials described above for MRL 310 / 410 and can be formed from the aforementioned multiple layers. In one aspect, the process uses any of the aforementioned deposition techniques to deposit the MRL 910. In some aspects, the MRL material includes a material forming recording grains 910a and a material acting as separators 910b between the recording grains (e.g., where the separators divide and define the recording grains at so-called "grain boundaries"). Materials suitable for recording grains 910a (e.g., FePt) and separators 910b (e.g., C, BN, SiO2, AlN, Ag, TiO2) have been described above. In one aspect, the separators are made of BN.

[0079] exist Figure 9f In this process, a capping layer 912 is provided on the MRL 910 (where box 960 summarizes the process shown in the previous drawing). The capping layer 912 may comprise grain material (e.g., capping grains 912a made of material formed on or attached to existing MRL grains 910a) and one or more separators (e.g., capping separators 912b formed on existing MRL separators 910b). The capping layer 912 may be made of any of the materials described above for capping layers 312 / 412, including, for example, CoFe for capping grains and B for capping separators. In one aspect, the process uses any of the deposition techniques described above to deposit the capping layer 912.

[0080] exist Figure 9g In this process, an absorber layer 913 (961) is provided on the MRL 910. The absorber layer 913 may comprise grain material (e.g., absorber grains 913a made of material formed on or attached to existing capping grains 912a) and one or more separators (e.g., absorber separators 913b formed on existing capping grains 912b). The absorber layer 913 may be made of any of the materials described above for the absorber layers 314 / 414, including, for example, CoFe for the absorber grains and BN, SiO2, B2O3, and ZrO2 for the absorber separators. In one aspect, the process uses any of the deposition techniques described above to deposit the absorber layer 913.

[0081] exist Figure 9h In this process, a sacrificial layer 914 (962) is provided on the absorber layer 913. The sacrificial layer 914 may be made of one or more of, for example, non-hydrogenated C, SiO2, Al2O3, ZrO2 or TiO2. In one aspect, the process uses any of the above-described deposition techniques to deposit the sacrificial layer 914.

[0082] exist Figure 9i In this process, portions of the sacrificial layer 914 and the absorber layer 913 are etched (where box 964 summarizes the process shown in the previous drawing). In one aspect, the process uses plasma-enhanced etching with an inert gas (such as one or more of Kr, Ar, or Xe) to perform the etching (964). In one aspect, portions of the sacrificial layer 914 remain at the grain boundaries after etching (964), making the sacrificial layer 914 discontinuous with segments remaining at the grain boundaries. The etch process effectively planarizes the absorber layer 913, and in particular the top portions of the absorber grains 913a. In one aspect, the etch process is carefully tuned, and the planarization of the absorber grains 913a is ensured by using a sacrificial layer (for selective etching) without etching (or otherwise damaging) the recording grains 910a or the covering grains 912a. In one aspect, the etching (964) involves etching the absorber grains 913a but not the absorber separators (913b) at the grain boundaries. In one aspect, etching portions of the sacrificial layer and the absorber layer includes etching portions of the sacrificial layer and the absorber layer such that the remainder of the sacrificial layer 914 is substantially positioned at the grain boundary. In another aspect, the remainder of the sacrificial layer 914 is intermixed (chemically and / or physically) with the absorber separator 913b at the grain boundary (e.g., the C of the sacrificial layer 914 is mixed with the BN of the absorber separator 913b).

[0083] In one aspect, etching (964) involves etching the sacrificial layer until the sacrificial layer becomes discontinuous and comprises multiple segments, each located at a grain boundary, such as, for example... Figure 9h As shown in the image.

[0084] In one aspect, etching (964) involves etching portions of the sacrificial layer and the absorber layer, but does not include etching the MRL or the cover layer.

[0085] In one aspect, etching (964) involves performing etching of portions of the sacrificial layer and the absorber layer at an etching rate of less than 10 Å / s (Å / s).

[0086] In one aspect, etching (964) portions of the sacrificial layer and the absorber layer results in planarization of portions of the absorber layer and the remainder of the sacrificial layer, such as, for example... Figure 9i As shown in the image.

[0087] exist Figure 9jIn this process, a protective layer 916 (966) is provided on the absorber layer 912 and the sacrificial layer 914, and then a lubricant layer 918 (966) is provided on the protective layer 916. The protective layer 916 may be made of any of the materials described above for the protective layers 316 / 416, including, for example, DLC. The lubricant layer 918 may be made of any of the materials described above for the lubricant layers 318 / 418, including, for example, polymer-based lubricants. In one aspect, the process uses any of the deposition techniques described above to deposit the protective layer 916 and / or the lubricant layer 918. In one aspect, Figure 9i HAMR media and Figure 4 The media are basically the same.

[0088] In one aspect, the protective layer is made of diamond-like carbon (DLC), and the sacrificial layer is made of carbon with properties different from those of DLC (e.g., DLC is formed of hydrogenated carbon while the sacrificial layer carbon is not hydrogenated).

[0089] As described above, HAMR media such as media 900 or media 300 / 400 may also have additional intermediate layers (e.g., cover layer, adhesive layer, heat sink seed layer, thermal resistance layer, etc.).

[0090] In one aspect, Figures 9a to 9j The process shown can be used to manufacture any of the HAMR media described above, including, for example, HAMR media 102, 300 and 400.

[0091] Figure 10 This demonstrates an exemplary magnetization (M) of a HAMR medium having a CoFe-based absorber layer formed from 33Co-49.5Fe-17.5SiO2, compared to another absorber layer of the composition (62Co-38BN). s Chart 1000. The vertical axis 1002 shows M. s (emu / cm 3 The horizontal axis 1004 shows the thickness of the absorption layer in nm. The absorption layer value based on CoFe is indicated by square 1006. The absorption layer value based on Co is indicated by circle 1008. The CoFe-based absorption layer exhibits a significantly larger M value than the Co-based absorption layer. s Note that the horizontal solid line 1010 corresponds to M, which is 0. s (emu / cm) 3 All measured Co-based absorbance values ​​shown in the figure are at or slightly above approximately 0 M. s (emu / cm) 3 All measured Co-Fe-based absorber layer values ​​shown in the figure are above 500 M. s (emu / cm) 3), including approximately 900M s (emu / cm) 3 The value is obtained for an absorber layer thickness of 2.0 nm. It should also be noted that this figure is based on an absorber layer that has not undergone the etching process with the sacrificial layer step shown in Figure 9.

[0092] Additional examples and implementation schemes

[0093] Figure 11 This is a schematic side view of an exemplary magnetic recording medium 1100 according to another aspect of this disclosure. The magnetic recording medium 1100 has a stacked structure having a substrate 1102, a heat sink layer 1104 on the substrate, an MRL 1106 on the heat sink layer 1104 (wherein the MRL may contain, for example, CoFe), and a capping layer 1108 on the MRL 1106, wherein the capping layer 1108 contains a capping magnetic material, which includes CoFe. That is, the capping layer has at least one material different from the MRL 1106 (e.g., CoPt instead of FePt). The magnetic recording medium 1100 also has an absorption layer 1110 on the capping layer 1108, wherein the absorption layer 1110 contains an absorption magnetic material, which includes CoFe. That is, the absorption layer has at least one material different from the capping layer 1108 (e.g., CoFe instead of CoPt). In some examples, the MRL 1106 has multiple magnetic recording layers and multiple non-magnetic ECLs. In some examples, the MRL may be configured with alternating ECL and oxide magnetic layers. Additional separators, layers, or films, such as those shown in the above figures, may be provided. Exemplary materials for the various layers are described above.

[0094] Figure 12This is a schematic side view of an exemplary magnetic recording medium 1200 according to another aspect of this disclosure. The magnetic recording medium 1200 has a stacked structure having a substrate 1202, a heat sink layer 1204 on the substrate, an MRL 1206 on the heat sink layer 1204, a capping layer 1208 on the MRL 1206 (wherein the capping layer 1208 comprises a capping layer magnetic material and capping layer separators), and an absorption layer 1210 on the capping layer 1208, wherein the absorption layer 1210 comprises an absorption layer magnetic material and absorption layer separators, and wherein the absorption layer separators are configured to provide a gradient of the volume percentage of the absorption layer separators, wherein the volume percentage increases from the capping layer. For example, the absorption layer may include two absorption sublayers, one absorption sublayer on top of the other, wherein the upper sublayer has a larger separator volume percentage than the lower absorption sublayer to provide an additional gradient of the separator volume percentage. In some examples, the MRL 1206 has multiple magnetic recording layers and multiple non-magnetic ECLs. In some examples, the MRL may be configured with alternating ECL and oxide magnetic layers. Additional layers or films, such as those shown in the figures above, may be provided. Exemplary materials for the various layers are as described above.

[0095] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of an exemplary process 1300 for manufacturing a HAMR medium including an absorber layer and a capping layer according to an aspect of this disclosure. In one aspect, process 1300 can be used to manufacture any of the HAMR media described above. At block 1302, the process provides a substrate. At block 1304, the process provides a heat sink layer on the substrate. At block 1306, the process provides an MRL on the heat sink layer. At block 1308, the process provides a capping layer on the MRL, wherein the capping layer comprises a capping layer magnetic material, the capping layer magnetic material including CoPt. At block 1310, the process provides an absorber layer on the capping layer, wherein the absorber layer comprises an absorber layer magnetic material, the absorber layer magnetic material including CoFe. As described above, additional layers and separators may be provided. Exemplary materials for the various layers are as described above.

[0096] Additional aspects

[0097] Examples set forth herein are provided to illustrate certain concepts of this disclosure. The apparatuses, devices, or components shown above may be configured to perform one or more of the methods, features, or steps described herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that these are merely exemplary in nature, and other examples may fall within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. Based on the teachings herein, those skilled in the art will understand that the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented independently of any other aspects, and two or more of these aspects may be combined in various ways. For example, any number of the aspects set forth herein may be used to implement an apparatus or to practice a method. Furthermore, in addition to or in lieu of one or more aspects set forth herein, other structures, functionalities, or structures and functionalities may be used to implement such an apparatus or to practice such a method.

[0098] The following description, with reference to schematic flowcharts and / or schematic block diagrams of methods, apparatus, systems, and computer program products according to aspects of this disclosure, describes various aspects of this disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the schematic flowcharts and / or schematic block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the schematic flowcharts and / or schematic block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing means to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor or other programmable data processing means, create means for implementing the functions and / or actions specified in one or more blocks of the schematic flowcharts and / or schematic block diagrams.

[0099] The subject matter described herein can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. Thus, the terms “function,” “module,” etc., as used herein can refer to hardware, which may also include software and / or firmware components for implementing the described features. In one exemplary embodiment, the subject matter described herein can be implemented using a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer (e.g., a processor), control the computer to perform the functionality described herein. Examples of suitable computer-readable media for implementing the subject matter described herein include non-transitory computer-readable media, such as disk storage devices, on-chip memory devices, programmable logic devices, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Furthermore, computer-readable media for implementing the subject matter described herein may reside on a single device or computing platform, or may be distributed across multiple devices or computing platforms.

[0100] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions shown in the boxes may not occur in the order shown in the figures. For example, two boxes shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or these boxes may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. Other steps and methods that are functionally, logically, or effectively equivalent to one or more boxes or portions thereof in the figures shown can be envisioned. Although various types of arrows and lines may be used in flowcharts and / or block diagrams, it should be understood that these types of arrows and lines do not limit the scope of the corresponding aspects. For example, arrows may indicate waiting or monitoring periods of unspecified duration between the enumerated steps of the depicted aspect.

[0101] The various features and processes described above can be used independently of each other or combined in various ways. All possible combinations and sub-combinations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, certain methods, events, states, or process blocks may be omitted in some specific implementations. The methods and processes described herein are not limited to any particular sequence, and the blocks or states associated with them may be executed in other suitable sequences. For example, the described tasks or events may be executed in a different order than specifically disclosed, or multiple tasks or events may be combined in a single block or state. Example tasks or events may be executed serially, in parallel, or in some other suitable manner. Tasks or events may be added to or removed from the disclosed exemplary aspects. The example systems and components described herein may be configured differently from those described. For example, elements may be added, removed, or rearranged compared to the disclosed exemplary aspects.

[0102] Those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the foregoing specification may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0103] The term “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other aspects. Similarly, the term “aspect” does not require all aspects to include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed. The term “coupled” is used herein to refer to direct or indirect coupling between two objects. For example, if object A physically touches object B, and object B touches object C, then object A and object C can still be considered coupled to each other (even if they do not directly and physically touch each other). It should also be noted that, in the context of one component being above another component, the term “above” as used herein can be used to refer to a component on and / or in another component (e.g., on the surface of the component or embedded in the component). Thus, for example, a first component above a second component can refer to (1) the first component on the second component but not in direct contact with the second component, (2) the first component on the second component (e.g., on the surface of the second component), and / or (3) the first component in the second component (e.g., embedded in the second component). As used herein, the terms “about 'value X'” or “approximately value X” shall mean within 10% of 'value X'. For example, a value of about 1 or approximately 1 would mean a value in the range of 0.9–1.1. In one aspect, “about” as used herein may alternatively mean 5%. Various value ranges may be specified, described, and / or claimed in this disclosure. It should be noted that any time a range is specified, described, and / or claimed in the specification and / or claims, it refers to including the end values ​​(at least in one embodiment). In another embodiment, the range may exclude the end values ​​of the range.

[0104] While the foregoing description encompasses many specific aspects of the invention, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but rather as examples of specific aspects. Therefore, the scope of the invention should not be determined by the aspects shown, but by the appended claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, throughout this specification, the terms "an aspect," "aspect," or similar language refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that aspect that is included in at least one aspect of this disclosure. Therefore, the phrases "in one aspect," "in an aspect," and similar language appearing throughout this specification may, but not necessarily all, refer to the same aspect, but rather to "one or more, but not all, aspects," unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0105] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing a particular implementation and is not intended to limit the implementation. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms (i.e., one or more) unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. An enumerated list of items does not imply that any or all items in the list are mutually exclusive and / or mutually inclusive unless otherwise explicitly stated. It should be further understood that, unless otherwise explicitly stated, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and their variations as used herein mean “including, but not limited to.” That is, these terms may specify the presence of a stated feature, integer, step, operation, element, or component, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof. Furthermore, it should be understood that the word “or” has the same meaning as the Boolean operator “OR,” that is, it includes the possibility of “or” and “both,” and is not limited to “exclusive OR” (“XOR”), unless otherwise explicitly stated. It should also be understood that the symbol “ / ” between two adjacent words has the same meaning as “or”, unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, phrases such as “connected to,” “coupled to,” or “communicate with” are not limited to direct connections, unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0106] The various components described in this specification may be described as "comprising" or being made of certain materials or combinations of materials. In one aspect, this may mean that the component is composed of one or more specific materials. In another aspect, this may mean that the component comprises one or more specific materials.

[0107] Any reference to elements using names such as "first," "second," etc., herein does not generally limit the number or order of those elements. Rather, these designations serve as a convenient way to distinguish two or more elements or instances of elements. Therefore, references to first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be used there, or that the first element must somehow precede the second element. Additionally, unless otherwise stated, a group of elements may include one or more elements. Furthermore, terms of the form "at least one of a, b, or c" or "a, b, c, or any combination thereof" as used in the specification or claims mean "a or b or c or any combination of these elements." For example, this term may include a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or a and b and c, or 2a, or 2b, or 2c, or 2a and b, etc.

[0108] As used herein, the term "determine" encompasses a wide range of actions. For example, "determine" can include arithmetic, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, lookup (e.g., searching in a table, database, or another data structure), and confirmation. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and so on. Moreover, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, choosing, and building.

Claims

1. A magnetic recording medium, the magnetic recording medium comprising: Substrate; A heat sink layer, wherein the heat sink layer is located on the substrate; A magnetic recording layer (MRL) is located on the heat sink layer; A capping layer, located on the MRL, wherein the capping layer comprises a capping layer magnetic material, the capping layer magnetic material including CoPt; and An absorption layer is located on the capping layer, wherein the absorption layer comprises an absorption layer magnetic material, the absorption layer magnetic material including CoFe.

2. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the MRL comprises FePt.

3. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer further comprises a cover layer separator, and wherein the absorber layer further comprises an absorber layer separator.

4. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 3, wherein the capping layer separator comprises a non-magnetic material, and wherein the absorption layer separator comprises a non-magnetic material.

5. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 4, wherein the capping layer separator comprises one or more of BN, SiO2, B2O3 and ZrO2, and wherein the absorber layer separator comprises one or more of BN, SiO2, B2O3 and ZrO2.

6. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 3, The capping layer separators constitute a first volume percentage of the capping layer; The absorber layer separator constitutes the second volume percentage of the absorber layer; and The second volume percentage is greater than the first volume percentage.

7. The magnetic recording medium of claim 6, wherein the second volume percentage is at least 5% larger than the first volume percentage.

8. The magnetic recording medium of claim 6, wherein the second volume percentage is greater than the first volume percentage by an amount ranging from 5% to 15% volume.

9. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 6, The absorber layer comprises a first sublayer and a second sublayer, and The volume percentage of the absorber layer separator in the second sublayer is greater than the volume percentage of the absorber layer separator in the first sublayer.

10. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the absorption layer comprises one or more of 24.6Co-36.9Fe-38.5BN, 26Co-39Fe-35BN, 30Co-45Fe-25ZrO2, 31Co-46.5Fe-22.5-ZrO2, 34Co-51Fe-15B2O3, 32Co-48Fe-20SiO2, and 33Co-49.5Fe-17.5SiO2.

11. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, The capping magnetic material comprises a plurality of capping grains, which are separated by capping separators at the grain boundaries of the plurality of capping grains; The magnetic material of the absorption layer is located at positions corresponding to the grains of the capping layer, and the absorption layer further includes absorption layer separators located at positions corresponding to the grain boundaries; and The sacrificial layer is embedded in the absorber layer at a position corresponding to the grain boundary. The sacrificial layer contains a non-magnetic material that is different from the absorber layer. The top surface of the absorber layer and the top surface of the sacrificial layer are substantially coplanar.

12. The magnetic recording medium of claim 11, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises at least one of C, SiO2, Al2O3, ZrO2 or TiO2.

13. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic recording medium further comprises: A protective layer is located on the absorbent layer; and A lubricant layer is located on the protective layer.

14. A data storage device, the data storage device comprising: A slider, the slider including a magnetic recording head; and According to claim 1, the magnetic recording medium, The slider is configured to write information into the MRL of the magnetic recording medium using heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR).

15. A magnetic recording medium, the magnetic recording medium comprising: Substrate; A heat sink layer, wherein the heat sink layer is located on the substrate; A magnetic recording layer (MRL) is located on the heat sink layer; A cover layer located on the MRL, wherein the cover layer comprises a cover layer magnetic material and a cover layer separator; and An absorption layer is located on the capping layer, wherein the absorption layer comprises an absorption layer magnetic material and an absorption layer separator, the absorption layer separator being configured to provide a gradient of the volume percentage of the absorption layer separator, wherein the volume percentage increases away from the capping layer.

16. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 15, The absorber layer comprises a first sublayer and a second sublayer, and The volume percentage of the absorber layer separator in the second sublayer is greater than the volume percentage of the absorber layer separator in the first sublayer.

17. The magnetic recording medium of claim 16, wherein the volume percentage of the absorber layer separator in the second sublayer is at least 5% greater than the volume percentage of the absorber layer separator in the first sublayer.

18. The magnetic recording medium of claim 16, wherein the volume percentage of the absorber layer separator in the second sublayer is greater than the volume percentage of the absorber layer separator in the first sublayer by an amount ranging from 5% to 15% volume.

19. The magnetic recording medium of claim 16, wherein the volume percentage of the absorber layer isolate in the first sublayer is at least 5% greater than the volume percentage of the absorber layer isolate in the cover layer.

20. The magnetic recording medium of claim 15, wherein the capping layer magnetic material comprises CoPt, and the absorbing layer magnetic material comprises CoFe.

21. The magnetic recording medium of claim 15, wherein the capping layer separator comprises a non-magnetic material, and wherein the absorbing layer separator comprises a non-magnetic material.

22. The magnetic recording medium of claim 21, wherein the capping layer separator comprises one or more of BN, SiO2, B2O3 and ZrO2, and wherein the absorber layer separator comprises one or more of BN, SiO2, B2O3 and ZrO2.

23. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the absorption layer comprises one or more of 24.6Co-36.9Fe-38.5BN, 26Co-39Fe-35BN, 30Co-45Fe-25ZrO2, 31Co-46.5Fe-22.5-ZrO2, 34Co-51Fe-15B2O3, 32Co-48Fe-20SiO2, and 33Co-49.5Fe-17.5SiO2.

24. A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, the method comprising: Provide substrate; A heat sink layer is provided on the substrate; A magnetic recording layer (MRL) is provided on the heat sink layer; A capping layer is provided on the MRL, wherein the capping layer comprises a capping layer magnetic material, the capping layer magnetic material including CoPt; and An absorption layer is provided on the cover layer, wherein the absorption layer comprises an absorption layer magnetic material, the absorption layer magnetic material including CoFe.

25. The method according to claim 24, The cover layer further includes cover layer separators, the cover layer separators constituting a first volume percentage of the cover layer; The absorbent layer further includes absorbent layer separators, which constitute a second volume percentage of the absorbent layer; and The second volume percentage is greater than the first volume percentage.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second volume percentage is greater than the first volume percentage by an amount ranging from 5 volume% to 15 volume%.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the capping layer separator comprises a non-magnetic material, and wherein the absorbing layer separator comprises a non-magnetic material.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the capping layer separator comprises one or more of BN, SiO2 and ZrO2, and wherein the absorber layer separator comprises one or more of BN, SiO2, B2O3 and ZrO2.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the absorber layer comprises one or more of 24.6Co-36.9Fe-38.5BN, 26Co-39Fe-35BN, 30Co-45Fe-25ZrO2, 31Co-46.5Fe-22.5-ZrO2, 34Co-51Fe-15B2O3, 32Co-48Fe-20SiO2, and 33Co-49.5Fe-17.5SiO2.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein providing the absorbent layer comprises: A first absorber sublayer with separators is provided on the capping layer; A second absorber layer having separators is provided on the first absorber layer; and The volume percentage of the insulator in the second absorber layer is greater than the volume percentage of the insulator in the first absorber layer.

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