Method for manufacturing a circumferentially patterned disk for longitudinal and perpendicular recording

Abstract

A method for constructing a magnetic medium for use in data recording that has a series of concentric magnetic track portions separated from one another by non-magnetic portions or gap portions. The disk may be manufactured by depositing first and second materials sequentially onto a rotating tube, the first and second materials having different etch rates. The tube may then be sliced into disks and the disks subjected to a reactive ion etch (RIE) to form a disk surface having concentric raised portions separated by concentric recessed portions. A magnetic material can then be deposited. An optional chemical mechanical polishing process can then be performed to planarize the surface, resulting in a planar surface having rings of magnetic material separated by rings of non-magnetic material.

1 . A method for constructing a magnetic medium for use in a data recording system, the method comprising:
 providing a deposition chamber;   mounting a tube within the deposition chamber, such that the tube can rotate about its own axis;   mounting a first target within the deposition chamber, the first target being constructed of a first material;   mounting a second target within the deposition chamber, the second target being constructed of a second material having a second material that is different than the first material the first material having an etch rate that is different from an etch rate of the second material;   sputter depositing material from the first and second targets onto the tube while rotating the tube;   slicing the tube into at least one disk;   etching the at least one disk using a reactive ion etch (RIE) to form a surface with raised portions and recessed portions; and   depositing a magnetic material onto a surface of the magnetic medium.   
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1  further comprising, after depositing a magnetic material, performing a chemical mechanical polishing process (CMP). 
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1  wherein the raised portions and recessed portions are both configured as concentric rings. 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1  further comprising providing a divider in the deposition chamber, the divider being disposed between the first and second targets. 
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 1  wherein the first target comprises alumina and the second target comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Si 3 N 4 , SiO 2 , Si(ON) x , and Ta. 
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 1  wherein the material from the first and second targets is deposited sequentially to form alternating layers of a first material and a second material. 
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 6  wherein the alternating layers are concentric with one another. 
     
     
         8 . A method for manufacturing a magnetic medium for use in a data recording system, the method comprising:
 constructing a die, the die having a surface configured with a plurality of raised portions formed as concentric circles;   providing a workpiece disk having a surface; and   pressing the surface of the die onto the surface of the workpiece disk to configure the surface of the workpiece disk with a plurality of concentric recessed portions.   
     
     
         9 . A method as in  claim 8  further comprising, before pressing the surface of the die onto the surface of the workpiece disk, depositing a magnetic material onto the surface of the workpiece disk. 
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 8  further comprising, after pressing the surface of the die onto the surface of the workpiece disk, depositing a magnetic material onto the surface of the workpiece disk. 
     
     
         11 . A method as in  claim 8  further comprising depositing a magnetic material onto the surface of the workpiece disk and performing a chemical mechanical polishing process. 
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 11  wherein the magnetic material is deposited before the surface of the workpiece disk is pressed against the surface of the die. 
     
     
         13 . A method for manufacturing a magnetic medium for use in a data recording system, the method comprising:
 providing a deposition chamber, the chamber containing first target comprising a first material, a second target comprising a second material; and a tube;   sequentially depositing material from the first and second targets onto the tube while rotating the tube about its own axis;   performing a reactive ion etch (RIE) on the tube and deposited material to form a die surface having concentric raised portions separated by concentric recessed portions; and   pressing the surface of the die against a surface of a workpiece disk.   
     
     
         14 . A method as in  claim 13 , further comprising depositing a layer of magnetic material onto the surface of the workpiece disk. 
     
     
         15 . A method as in  claim 13  further comprising depositing a layer of magnetic material onto the surface of the workpiece disk and performing a chemical mechanical polishing procedure.