We have prepared high-performance disks based on Co/Pt multilayers using ultrathin seed layers. Both crystalline (such as ZnO) and amorphous [such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and Si] materials were used as seed layers. We found that very thin layers of these materials enhance coercivity, squareness of the Kerr loop, and perpendicular anisotropy of the Co/Pt superlattices. These beneficial effects are obtained with a seed layer as thin as 0.2 nm. This is incontrast with the earlier presumptions that indicated much thicker layers, about 80 nm of crystalline material, were required to improve the texture of the Co/Pt multilayer for sufficient enhancement in the coercivity. Further, the data indicated that disks with amorphous seed layers generally have higher perpendicular anisotropy and lower recording noise as compared to those with crystalline ZnO. We have prepared disks using a thin amorphous ITO seed layer and a simple disk structure: grooved PC/ITO/12[Co/Pt]/lacquer overcoat. The performance of these disks is similar to that a commercial TbFeCo media. This media has potential for low cost manufacturing.
Potentially low cost Co/Pt multilayer disks were fabricated using a simplified disk structure. Ultrathin seed layers of dielectrics were used to enhance the coercivity and squareness of the Kerr hysteresis loop. Both Co/Pt superlattices and the dielectrics were deposited under low vacuum. The total cycle time consisting of loading the PC substrate into the vacuum chamber, pumping the sputtering chamber to a base pressure, and deposition of the ITO seed layer and the Co/Pt multilayer was reduced to less than ten seconds. Cyclability and recording performance of the conventional media is retained.
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