According to one embodiment, a heat assisted magnetic recording system includes a magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic recording layer, where the magnetic recording layer includes a plurality of physical bits. Each physical bit has a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and one of at least three magnetic states, where the at least three magnetic states include a +1 magnetic state, a 0 magnetic state, and a −1 magnetic state.

According to the present invention, there is provided a recording medium comprising a substrate, a platinum layer formed on the substrate and having a (111) plane preferentially oriented, and a fullerene single crystal thin film formed on the platinum layer, and configured to be a recording layer, wherein an average value of average surface roughness Ra's with respect to four or more visual fields measured by using an atomic force microscope in a surface of the fullerene thin film is 0.5 nm or less.

A sliding element for use in an internal combustion engine may include a ferrous base having a peripheral sliding surface covered by a protective surface layer, the protective surface layer including at least one nitride applied via at least one of physical vapour deposition and a nitrided layer. The peripheral sliding surface may have a diamond like carbon (DLC) coating disposed thereon. The coating may include at least one of (a) one or more transition layers composed of WC1-x and (b) an adhesive layer of metallic chromium with a crystal structure. The coating may include an intermediate layer of metal DLC, the metal may be tungsten in a multilayer structure of a-C:H:W and a-C:H, and an outer layer of metal-free DLC.

A film-forming apparatus and a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium are provided. The film-forming apparatus includes a rotating body which moves a base material with a strip shape which has flexibility, a plurality of cathodes which are provided to oppose a rotating surface of the rotating body; and a plurality of accommodating sections which accommodate each of the plurality of cathodes. The method includes sequentially film-forming a plurality of thin films on a base material using a plurality of cathodes which are provided on a moving path of the base material while moving the base material with a strip shape which has flexibility. Each of the plurality of cathodes is accommodated in a plurality of accommodating sections.

A film-forming apparatus and a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium are provided. The film-forming apparatus includes a rotating body which moves a base material with a strip shape which has flexibility, a plurality of cathodes which are provided to oppose a rotating surface of the rotating body; and a plurality of accommodating sections which accommodate each of the plurality of cathodes. The method includes sequentially film-forming a plurality of thin films on a base material using a plurality of cathodes which are provided on a moving path of the base material while moving the base material with a strip shape which has flexibility. Each of the plurality of cathodes is accommodated in a plurality of accommodating sections.

A multilayer exchange spring recording media consists of a magnetically hard magnetic storage layer strongly exchange coupled to a softer nucleation host. The strong exchange coupling can be through a coupling layer or direct. The hard magnetic storage layer has a strong perpendicular anisotropy. The nucleation host consists of one or more ferromagnetic coupled layers. For a multilayer nucleation host the anisotropy increases from layer to layer. The anisotropy in the softest layer of the nucleation host can be two times smaller than that of the hard magnetic storage layer. The lateral exchange between the grains is small. The nucleation host decreases the coercive field significantly while keeping the energy barrier of the hard layer almost unchanged. The coercive field of the total structure depends on one over number of layers in the nucleation host. The invention proposes a recording media that overcomes the writeability problem of perpendicular recording media.

A multilayer exchange spring recording media consists of a magnetically hard magnetic storage layer strongly exchange coupled to a softer nucleation host. The strong exchange coupling can be through a coupling layer or direct. The hard magnetic storage layer has a strong perpendicular anisotropy. The nucleation host consists of one or more ferromagnetic coupled layers. For a multilayer nucleation host the anisotropy increases from layer to layer. The anisotropy in the softest layer of the nucleation host can be two times smaller than that of the hard magnetic storage layer. The lateral exchange between the grains is small. The nucleation host decreases the coercive field significantly while keeping the energy barrier of the hard layer almost unchanged. The coercive field of the total structure depends on one over number of layers in the nucleation host. The invention proposes a recording media that overcomes the writeability problem of perpendicular recording media.

An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic recording medium capable of suppressing a dimensional change in a width direction by setting the water vapor transmission rate within a specific range.

The present technology provides a magnetic recording medium having a tape shape, the magnetic recording medium including: a magnetic layer; a nonmagnetic layer; a base layer; and a back layer in this order, in which the magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic layer are in contact with each other, the nonmagnetic layer and the base layer are in contact with each other, an average thickness of the magnetic recording medium is 5.74 μm or less, a Young's modulus in an MD direction (longitudinal direction) of the base layer is 5.9 GPa or less, and a water vapor transmission rate of the magnetic recording medium, measured according to a Lyssy method, is 2.93 g/m.sup.2.Math.day or less. The Young's modulus in the MD direction of the base layer (longitudinal direction) is 5.3 GPa or less. A humidity expansion coefficient β at a temperature of 10° C. is 6.5 ppm/% RH or less.

A multilayer exchange spring recording media consists of a magnetically hard magnetic storage layer strongly exchange coupled to a softer nucleation host. The strong exchange coupling can be through a coupling layer or direct. The hard magnetic storage layer has a strong perpendicular anisotropy. The nucleation host consists of one or more ferromagnetic coupled layers. For a multilayer nucleation host the anisotropy increases from layer to layer. The anisotropy in the softest layer of the nucleation host can be two times smaller than that of the hard magnetic storage layer. The lateral exchange between the grains is small. The nucleation host decreases the coercive field significantly while keeping the energy barrier of the hard layer almost unchanged. The coercive field of the total structure depends on one over number of layers in the nucleation host. The invention proposes a recording media that overcomes the writeability problem of perpendicular recording media.

A multilayer exchange spring recording media consists of a magnetically hard magnetic storage layer strongly exchange coupled to a softer nucleation host. The strong exchange coupling can be through a coupling layer or direct. The hard magnetic storage layer has a strong perpendicular anisotropy. The nucleation host consists of one or more ferromagnetic coupled layers. For a multilayer nucleation host the anisotropy increases from layer to layer. The anisotropy in the softest layer of the nucleation host can be two times smaller than that of the hard magnetic storage layer. The lateral exchange between the grains is small. The nucleation host decreases the coercive field significantly while keeping the energy barrier of the hard layer almost unchanged. The coercive field of the total structure depends on one over number of layers in the nucleation host. The invention proposes a recording media that overcomes the writeability problem of perpendicular recording media.