According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an underlayer including projections arranged at an average interval of 3 to 20 nm, an amorphous magnetic recording layer having a plurality of columnar magnetic grains on the surface of the projections, each having a magnetization easy axis in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the underlayer. The underlayer is formed such that 0.5dr1.5d, where r is the radius of curvature of a vertical section of each projection and d is the average interval between the projections.

A transfer system (1) for transferring a fine transfer pattern (M1) formed in a mold (M) to a to-be-molded material (D) provided on a substrate (W) includes a positioning device (3) configured to position the substrate (W) relative to the mold (M) and to bond the mold (M) and the substrate (W) together after the positioning, and a transfer device (5) provided separately from the positioning device (3) and configured to receive the mold (M) and the substrate (W) positioned and bonded together by the positioning device (3), and to cure the to-be-molded material (D) while pressing the mold (M) and the substrate (W) thereby to perform transfer.

A transfer system (1) for transferring a fine transfer pattern (M1) formed in a mold (M) to a to-be-molded material (D) provided on a substrate (W) includes a positioning device (3) configured to position the substrate (W) relative to the mold (M) and to bond the mold (M) and the substrate (W) together after the positioning, and a transfer device (5) provided separately from the positioning device (3) and configured to receive the mold (M) and the substrate (W) positioned and bonded together by the positioning device (3), and to cure the to-be-molded material (D) while pressing the mold (M) and the substrate (W) thereby to perform transfer.

Methods and apparatus for forming substrates having magnetically patterned surfaces is provided. A magnetic layer comprising one or more materials having magnetic properties is formed on a substrate. The magnetic layer is subjected to a patterning process in which selected portions of the surface of the magnetic layer are altered such that the altered portions have different magnetic properties from the non-altered portions without changing the topography of the substrate. A protective layer and a lubricant layer are deposited over the patterned magnetic layer. The patterning is accomplished through a number of processes that expose substrates to energy of varying forms. Apparatus and methods disclosed herein enable processing of two major surfaces of a substrate simultaneously, or sequentially by flipping. In some embodiments, magnetic properties of the substrate surface may be uniformly altered by plasma exposure and then selectively restored by exposure to patterned energy.

Methods and apparatus for forming substrates having magnetically patterned surfaces is provided. A magnetic layer comprising one or more materials having magnetic properties is formed on a substrate. The magnetic layer is subjected to a patterning process in which selected portions of the surface of the magnetic layer are altered such that the altered portions have different magnetic properties from the non-altered portions without changing the topography of the substrate. A protective layer and a lubricant layer are deposited over the patterned magnetic layer. The patterning is accomplished through a number of processes that expose substrates to energy of varying forms. Apparatus and methods disclosed herein enable processing of two major surfaces of a substrate simultaneously, or sequentially by flipping. In some embodiments, magnetic properties of the substrate surface may be uniformly altered by plasma exposure and then selectively restored by exposure to patterned energy.

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a substrate; an etch stop layer overlying the substrate, wherein the etch stop layer is substantially resistant to etching conditions; and a patterned layer overlying the etch stop layer, wherein the patterned layer is substantially labile to the etching conditions, and wherein the patterned layer comprises a number of features including substantially consistent feature profiles among regions of high feature density and regions of low feature density.

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a substrate; an etch stop layer overlying the substrate, wherein the etch stop layer is substantially resistant to etching conditions; and a patterned layer overlying the etch stop layer, wherein the patterned layer is substantially labile to the etching conditions, and wherein the patterned layer comprises a number of features including substantially consistent feature profiles among regions of high feature density and regions of low feature density.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic recording medium manufacturing method including forming a bonding layer on a substrate, forming a holding layer containing silicon on the bonding layer, forming a single-particle layer on the holding layer using particles containing metal fusible on the bonding layer, etching SiO.sub.2 in the holding layer using an etching solution containing HF and H.sub.2O.sub.2, filling the holding layer with the particles until the particles are brought into contact with the bonding layer, bonding the particles and the bonding layer together by heating, and forming a magnetic recording layer on the single-particle layer.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic recording medium manufacturing method including forming a bonding layer on a substrate, forming a holding layer containing silicon on the bonding layer, forming a single-particle layer on the holding layer using particles containing metal fusible on the bonding layer, etching SiO.sub.2 in the holding layer using an etching solution containing HF and H.sub.2O.sub.2, filling the holding layer with the particles until the particles are brought into contact with the bonding layer, bonding the particles and the bonding layer together by heating, and forming a magnetic recording layer on the single-particle layer.

A method and apparatus for forming a magnetic layer having a pattern of magnetic properties on a substrate is described. The method includes using a metal nitride hardmask layer to pattern the magnetic layer by plasma exposure. The metal nitride layer is patterned using a nanoimprint patterning process with a silicon oxide pattern negative material. The pattern is developed in the metal nitride using a halogen and oxygen containing remote plasma, and is removed after plasma exposure using a caustic wet strip process. All processing is done at low temperatures to avoid thermal damage to magnetic materials.