Method for manufacturing magnetic recording medium

Abstract

A method for manufacturing magnetic recording media is provided, by which a magnetic recording medium that has a recording layer formed in a concavo-convex pattern, a sufficiently flat surface, and good recording/reproducing properties can be manufactured. The method includes the steps of: depositing a first filling material over a workpiece to cover recording elements formed as convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern, and to fill at least part of a concave portion; depositing a detection material over the first filling material; depositing a second filling material over the detection material; and irradiating a surface of the workpiece with a process gas to flatten the surface. In the flattening step, a component of the detection material removed from and flying off the workpiece is detected to stop the irradiation with the process gas based on a result of detecting the component of the detection material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the structure of a starting body of a workpiece according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the structure of a magnetic recording medium that is obtained by processing the workpiece;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the outline of the manufacturing steps of the magnetic recording medium;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a concavo-convex pattern transferred to a resist layer of the starting body of the workpiece;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the shape of the workpiece with a continuous recording layer being divided;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the workpiece with first filling material deposited;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the workpiece with a detection material deposited;

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the workpiece with second filling material deposited;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional side view showing the structure of the detection material;

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the workpiece in which etching has reached the detection material on the recording element in a flattening step;

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the workpiece in which etching has reached the detection material over the concave portion in the flattening step;

FIG. 12 is a graph schematically showing a relation between time and amount of scattered detection material in the flattening step;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional side view schematically showing the structure of a workpiece around a detection material according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a workpiece with a first filling material, a detection material, and a second filling material deposited according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing the workpiece in which etching has reached the detection material over the recording elements in the flattening step; and

FIG. 16 is a graph showing a relation between time and number of counts of Nb detected in a flattening step according to an Working Example of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, comprising: a first filling material deposition step of depositing a first filling material over a workpiece to cover recording elements, the workpiece having a substrate and a recording layer formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern over the substrate with the recording elements formed as convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern, and to fill at least part of a concave portion between the recording elements with the first filling material;a detection material deposition step of depositing a detection material over the first filling material;a second filling material deposition step of depositing a second filling material over the detection material; anda flattening step of irradiating a surface of the workpiece with a process gas to remove at least part of a deposited portion above the top surfaces of the recording elements to flatten the surface, the deposited portion including any of the first filling material, the detection material, and the second filling material,wherein these steps are carried out in that order, and in the flattening step, a component of the detection material removed from and flying off the workpiece is detected to stop irradiation with the process gas based on a result of detecting the component of the detection material.

2. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein in the first filling material deposition step, the first filling material is deposited in a thickness greater than a depth of the concave portion to fully fill the concave portion of the concavo-convex pattern with the first filling material, andin the flattening step, the irradiation with the process gas is stopped based on a result of detecting a component of the detection material removed from and flying off a part of the detection material over the concave portion.

3. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein in the detection material deposition step, a non-oxide is deposited over the first filling material to form the detection material, and an oxide is used as at least one of the first filling material and the second filling material.

4. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 2, wherein in the detection material deposition step, a non-oxide is deposited over the first filling material to form the detection material, and an oxide is used as at least one of the first filling material and the second filling material.

5. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 3, wherein in the detection material deposition step, the detection material is scattered over the first filling material and deposited so thinly as not to fully cover the first filling material.

6. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 4, wherein in the detection material deposition step, the detection material is scattered over the first filling material and deposited so thinly as not to fully cover the first filling material.

7. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein in the flattening step, a component of the detection material is detected either by secondary-ion mass spectrometry or quadrupole mass spectrometry.

8. The method for manufacturing, a magnetic recording medium according to claim 2, wherein in the flattening step, a component of the detection material is detected either by secondary-ion mass spectrometry or quadrupole mass spectrometry.

9. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 3, wherein in the flattening step, a component of the detection material is detected either by secondary-ion mass spectrometry or quadrupole mass spectrometry.

10. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 4, wherein in the flattening step, a component of the detection material is detected either by secondary-ion mass spectrometry or quadrupole mass spectrometry.

11. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 5, wherein in the flattening step, a component of the detection material is detected either by secondary-ion mass spectrometry or quadrupole mass spectrometry.

12. The method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium according to claim 6, wherein in the flattening step, a component of the detection material is detected either by secondary-ion mass spectrometry or quadrupole mass spectrometry.