Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed to provide a magnetic recording medium that capping layer doped with an effective amount of metal to control grain-to-grain exchange coupling in a capping layer. A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer (MRL) on the substrate, and a capping layer on the MRL. The capping layer include Co and is doped with a metal (e.g., Ru or Ta) in a range from 1 atomic percent to 5 atomic percent, inclusive.

A vacuum process method for a magnetic recording medium having a surface protective layer for protecting a magnetic recording layer formed on a substrate includes a ta-C film forming step of forming a ta-C film on the magnetic recording layer, a transportation step of transporting a substrate on which the ta-C film is formed, a radical generation step of generating radicals by exciting a process gas, and a radical process step of irradiating a surface of the ta-C film with the radicals.

The area of a spacer that is to be provided between the adjacent substrates in a laminate including a plurality of substrates to keep the adjacent substrates apart from each other is smaller than those of the stacked substrates. When pressure is released to bring the laminate obtained by providing the spacers between the substrates from a pressed state in which 0.60 MPa of pressure is applied to the laminate in the stacking direction into a non-pressed state, an amount of change ΔW in thickness per spacer that is calculated from a change in the thickness of the laminate due to the release of pressure is 30 μm or less.

Magnetic media including a magnetic recording layer structure formed of alternating magnetic recording sublayers and non-magnetic exchange control sublayers. The magnetic recording layer structure may include at least one magnetic recording sublayer formed to include a pair of thin films, with the films having different concentrations of platinum, ruthenium, and/or oxide segregants. That is, the sublayer has a “dual layer” structure. The dual layer structure can provide a gradient in magnetic anisotropy, saturation magnetization, and/or intergranular magnetic exchange coupling across the sublayer. In some examples, the film nearer to the substrate of the magnetic media has a higher platinum concentration than the other film. In one aspect, the magnetic media includes the substrate and the magnetic recording layer structure on the substrate, with the structure including six magnetic recording sublayers. In another aspect, a method of fabricating magnetic media with such structures is provided.

An aluminum alloy substrate for magnetic disks, including an aluminum alloy containing: 1.0 to 6.5 mass % of Mg; and the balance consisting of Al and unavoidable impurities, in which the distribution of Si—K—O-based particles with a longest diameter of 1 μm or more adhering to the surface from the surrounding environment is equal to or less than one particle/6,000 mm.sup.2; and in which the distribution of Ti—B-based particles with a longest diameter of 1 μm or more present on the surface is equal to or less than one particle/6,000 mm.sup.2, and a magnetic disk using the aluminum alloy substrate for magnetic disks.

A disk for a magnetic recording apparatus is described. The disk includes a first surface extending along a first plane, a second surface extending along a second plane parallel to the first plane, and a disk thickness between the first surface and the second surface, measured along a first direction substantially normal to the first surface. The disk further includes an edge surface disposed along a perimeter of the disk and between the first surface and the second surface, where the edge surface extends along a third plane substantially perpendicular to the first surface, a first chamfer disposed between the first surface and the edge surface, and a second chamfer disposed between the second surface and the edge surface. In an aspect, a length of the edge surface measured along the first direction may be between 40% and 80% of the disk thickness.

A disk for a magnetic recording apparatus is described. The disk includes a first surface extending along a first plane, a second surface extending along a second plane parallel to the first plane, and a disk thickness between the first surface and the second surface, measured along a first direction substantially normal to the first surface. The disk further includes an edge surface disposed along a perimeter of the disk and between the first surface and the second surface, where the edge surface extends along a third plane substantially perpendicular to the first surface, a first chamfer disposed between the first surface and the edge surface, and a second chamfer disposed between the second surface and the edge surface. In an aspect, a length of the edge surface measured along the first direction may be between 40% and 80% of the disk thickness.

An aluminum alloy substrate for magnetic disks, including an aluminum alloy containing Fe as an essential element; at least one of Mn or Ni as selective elements; and the balance including Al and unavoidable impurities, with the total amount of Fe, Mn, and Ni having a relationship of 0.10 to 7.00 mass %; in which the distribution of Si—K—O-based particles with a longest diameter of 1 μm or more adhering to the surface from the surrounding environment is equal to or less than one particle/6,000 mm.sup.2, and in which the distribution of Ti—B-based particles with a longest diameter of 1 μm or more present on the surface is equal to or less than one particle/6,000 mm.sup.2; and a magnetic disk using the aluminum alloy substrate.

Disks for use in hard disk drives (HDD) or other magnetic recording apparatus. The disks are configured based on a finding that internal stress within a disk can make the disk more resistant to shock forces. In one example, a disk is provided that has a substrate with a thickness of no more than 0.5 millimeters and an internal stress no less than 300 megapascals. The relatively high internal stress within the substrate of the disk serves to reduce the magnitude of deflections caused by mechanical shocks to an HDD in which the disk is installed, as compared to other disks of equal thickness but with relatively less internal stress. Multi-platter stacks of the disks are described. Methods are also described for fabricating such disks and for rejecting disks that do not meet certain internal stress-based criteria. Substrates are also described.

Provided is a compound which allows realization of a lubricant having high adsorbability and a high covering property with respect to a magnetic disk, particularly a carbon protective film. A perfluoropolyether compound in accordance with an aspect of the present invention has a naphthyl group or a phenoxyphenyl group at any one of terminals thereof.