Perpendicular Magnetic Recording Media on Various Hard-Disk Substrates

Co-Cr perpendicular media on rigid substrates were studied. We used untextured glass substrates for perpendicular magnetic hard disks, but the reproduced output at short wavelengths was influenced by the surface roughness of the magnetic recording media. We therefore fabricated Co-Cr perpendicular hard disk media deposited onto different substrates: untextured glass, silicon single crystal, chemically textured alumite, and Mn-Zn ferrite. We compared these substrates with respect to their crystallographic properties, head-to-medium spacing, and record/playback characteristics.