Abstract
Ru + oxide composite thin films were studied as potential intermediate layers (interlayers) for perpendicular magnetic recording media for the purpose of grain size reduction. It was found that the orientation spread of the Ru grains increased from 3.7° to 4.6° when the oxide addition was increased to 50vol%, and the roughness of the thin films stayed constant. The grain size of the Ru layer was reduced as the oxide volume fraction increased. At lower doping levels, the oxide stayed at the Ru grain boundaries. However, when the oxide was higher than 30vol%, a “salt and pepper”-type microstructure was obtained, where both Ru and oxide grains are small and intermixed. It was found that the magnetic layer did not have a one to one grain growth on the Ru+oxide layer with the ‘‘salt and pepper’’-type microstructure. The coercivity (Hc) of the media decreased as the oxide volume fraction increased, while the squareness of the hysteresis loops stayed at unity until more than 30vol% of oxide was added. Oxide additions to the Ru interlayer seem to be a good process variable to further decrease the grain size for higher areal density magnetic recording.
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