Design and Fabrication of High Anisotropy Nanoscale Bit-Patterned Magnetic Recording Medium for Data Storage Applications

Abstract

Design considerations for bit-patterned magnetic medium for next generation data storage systems is presented. (Co/Pd)N magnetic multilayers are evaluated as candidates for bit- patterned medium recording layer materials for their high and easily tunable magnetic anisotropy. Optimized patterned multilayers used in this study had coercivities in excess of 12- 14kOe. Bit patterning was accomplished using ion-beam proximity printing, a high-throughput direct write lithography where a large array of ion beamlets shaped by a stencil mask is used to write an arbitrary device pattern. It is found that the nature of magnetization reversal strongly depends on bit edge imperfections and is likely to contribute to switching field distribution.