Experimental study on recording and track edge characteristics of bicrystal thin film media

Track edge recording characteristics of bicrystalline thin film media grown on (100) GaAs single crystalline substrates are studied using magnetic force microscopy. It is found that, along the effective easy axes, recorded tracks exhibit well-defined track edges with both trimmed and untrimmed thin film heads, and unlike oriented thin film media, no “V” shaped edge transition is observed. Along the effective hard axes, track edge charges can be clearly observed at both sides. Non-percolated bit patterns can be observed at a recording density of 6800 fr/mm