Claims
- 1. A magnetic recording medium comprising:
a substrate; and a magnetic recording layer exhibiting perpendicular magnetic anisotropy formed over the substrate, the magnetic recording layer including a pattern of surface variations defined by patterned areas and non-patterned areas, wherein the patterned areas are magnetized differently than the non-patterned areas.
- 2. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein at least some of the patterned areas define a width of less than approximately 5.0 microns.
- 3. The magnetic recording medium of claim 2, wherein at least some of the patterned areas define a width of less than approximately 1.0 micron.
- 4. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the patterned areas comprise bumps.
- 5. The magnetic recording medium of claim 4, wherein the non-patterned areas comprise regions between the bumps.
- 6. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the patterned areas comprise features selected from the group consisting of: bumps, pits, ridges, rails, channels, and grooves.
- 7. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, further comprising a layer formed between the substrate and the magnetic recording layer.
- 8. The magnetic recording medium of claim 7, wherein the layer formed between the substrate and the magnetic recording layer defines the pattern of surface variations, and wherein the magnetic recording layer substantially conforms to the pattern of surface variations.
- 9. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the magnetic recording layer includes a number of sub-layers.
- 10. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the patterned areas define servo patterns for the medium.
- 11. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the patterned areas define stored information.
- 12. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the patterned areas are all magnetized substantially the same.
- 13. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the patterned areas are all magnetized substantially the same and the non-patterned areas are randomly magnetized.
- 14. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the patterned areas are magnetized with a polarity that is opposite a polarity of the non-patterned areas.
- 15. The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the magnetic recording layer is a substantially continuous magnetic recording layer formed over the substrate.
- 16. A magnetic recording medium comprising:
a substrate; and a substantially continuous magnetic recording layer exhibiting perpendicular magnetic anisotropy formed over the substrate, the magnetic recording layer having a pattern of surface variations defined by patterned areas and non-patterned areas, wherein the patterned areas are magnetized with a polarity that is opposite a polarity of the non-patterned areas, and wherein at least some of the patterned areas define a width less than approximately 5.0 microns.
- 17. The magnetic recording medium of claim 16, wherein the patterned areas are all magnetized substantially the same and the non-patterned areas are all magnetized substantially the same.
- 18. A method comprising:
applying a DC magnetic field to a patterned magnetic medium having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and exhibiting a pattern of surface variations defined by patterned areas and non-patterned areas to magnetize the patterned areas differently than the non-patterned areas.
- 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming the patterned magnetic medium to have perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and to exhibit a pattern of surface variations defined by patterned areas and non-patterned areas.
- 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
applying a first DC magnetic field to the medium to similarly magnetize the patterned areas and the non-patterned areas; and applying a second DC magnetic field to the medium to magnetize the patterned areas differently than the non-patterned areas.
- 21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
applying a first DC magnetic field to the medium to magnetize the patterned areas differently than the non-patterned areas; and applying a second DC magnetic field to the medium to similarly magnetize the patterned areas and the non-patterned areas.
- 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising reapplying the first DC magnetic field to the medium to magnetize the patterned areas differently than the non-patterned areas.
- 23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
receiving the patterned magnetic medium in a corrupted state; and reapplying the DC magnetic field to the medium to similarly magnetize the patterned areas and the non-patterned areas and thereby uncorrupt the medium.
- 24. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving the patterned magnetic medium having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and exhibiting a pattern of surface variations defined by patterned areas and non-patterned areas, wherein at least some of the patterned areas define a width less than approximately 5.0 microns.
- 25. A method comprising:
receiving a patterned magnetic medium having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and exhibiting a pattern of surface variations defined by patterned areas and non-patterned areas, wherein at least some of the patterned areas define a width less than approximately 5.0 microns; applying a first DC magnetic field to the medium to similarly magnetize the patterned areas and the non-patterned areas; and applying a second DC magnetic field to the medium to magnetize the patterned areas differently than the non-patterned areas.
- 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:
receiving the patterned magnetic medium in a corrupted state; and uncorrupting the medium by reapplying the first DC magnetic field to the medium to similarly magnetize the patterned areas and the non-patterned areas, and reapplying a second DC magnetic field to the medium to magnetize the patterned areas differently than the non-patterned areas.
- 27. A magnetic storage device comprising:
a magnetic storage medium; a head to detect magnetic domains on the medium; a controller that controls a position of the head relative to the medium; and a signal processor that interprets detected magnetic domains, wherein the magnetic storage medium includes a substrate, a substantially continuous magnetic recording layer exhibiting perpendicular magnetic anisotropy formed over the substrate to exhibit a pattern of surface variations defined by patterned areas and non-patterned areas, wherein the patterned areas are magnetized differently than the non-patterned areas.
- 28. The magnetic storage device of claim 27, wherein the head applies a DC magnetic field to the medium to magnetize the patterned areas differently than the non-patterned areas.
- 29. The magnetic storage device of claim 27, wherein the head is a longitudinal read/write head.
- 30. The magnetic storage device of claim 27, wherein the device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of: a magnetic tape drive, a magnetic disk drive, a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, and a magnetic tape cartridge drive.
- 31. A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising a pattern of surface variations defined by patterned areas and non-patterned areas, the patterned areas being magnetized differently than the non-patterned areas.
- 32. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium of claim 31, wherein the patterned areas are magnetized with a first polarity, and the non-patterned areas are magnetized with a second polarity, the second polarity being opposite the first polarity.
Government Interests
[0001] This invention was made with Government support under Agreement No. 70NANB1H3022 with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Technology Program (ATP). The Government has certain rights in this invention.