A recording device comprising an overcoat layer, wherein the overcoat layer comprises an amorphous carbon overcoat layer having a crystallinity (C)0.8.

An object is to provide a magnetic recording medium excellent in an electromagnetic conversion characteristic and traveling performance.

The present technology provides a magnetic recording medium including a magnetic layer containing a magnetic powder, the magnetic recording medium having an average magnetic cluster size of 1850 nm.sup.2 or less, the average magnetic cluster size measured on the basis of an MFM image of a surface on a side of the magnetic layer, the magnetic layer containing first particles having conductivity and second particles having a Mohs hardness of 7 or more, in which protrusions are formed by the first particles and protrusions are formed by the second particles on the surface on the side of the magnetic layer, and a ratio (H.sub.1/H.sub.2) of an average height H.sub.1 of the protrusions formed by the first particles to an average height H.sub.2 of the protrusions formed by the second particles is 2.00 or less.

A magnetic-recording medium includes a hydrogen and nitrogen implanted carbon overcoat (HNICOC) on a magnetic-recording layer. The HNICOC includes nitrogen implanted in a top-surface layer of the HNICOC such that a percentage ratio of a concentration of the implanted nitrogen to a concentration of carbon is between about 30 percent (%) to about 10% within a depth from about 2 ngstrom () to about 5 from the top surface of the HNICOC. An amount of hydrogen implanted in the top-surface layer is between about 1% to about 12% within a distance less than about 5 from the top surface. A data storage device that incorporates the magnetic-recording medium within a magnetic-recording disk, and a method for making the magnetic-recording medium are also described.

A method for making a magnetic recording medium, including providing a substrate, forming a magnetic layer on the substrate, applying filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) deposition to form a film on the magnetic layer, and performing nitridation on the film formed by the FCVA deposition.

A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an underlayer formed on the substrate, and a magnetic layer formed on the underlayer. The magnetic layer includes an alloy having a L1.sub.0 structure. The underlayer includes a first underlayer and a second underlayer. The first underlayer includes Mo and Ru, the content of Ru in the first underlayer is in a range of 5 atom % to 30 atom %, and the second underlayer includes a material having a body-centered cubic (BCC) structure. The second underlayer is formed between the first underlayer and the substrate.

A film production method for producing a thin film on a surface of a workpiece, including the steps of: disposing the workpiece in a chamber; supplying a process gas into the chamber with the inside of the chamber being maintained at a predetermined pressure; applying a light having an energy between 3 eV and 10 eV to the surface of the workpiece to cause a photoelectron to be emitted from the surface of the workpiece; and applying an AC electric field to the surface of the workpiece, wherein the AC electric field has an electric field intensity causing a Townsend discharge to occur without generating a glow discharge plasma.

A method for manufacturing a magnetic media for magnetic data recording that improves smoothness for reduced magnetic spacing, and also improves mechanical integration to improve reliability and lifespan of the data recording system. A magnetic material such as a magnetic recording layer is deposited over underlying layers that include a substrate. A first etching is performed that employs a Xe plasma. A second etching is then performed that employs an Ar plasma. The two step etching process advantageously improves smoothness of the surface of the magnetic layer which allows for a thinner overcoat for reduced magnetic spacing. The two step etching process also results in less head disk crashes, resulting in improved reliability.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for forming a magnetic recording medium having a recording layer with a plurality of perpendicular magnetic domains configured to store data; and a carbon overcoat formed on the recording layer. The carbon overcoat is characterized by a sp3 carbon content greater than 70%, and a thickness of less than 1.2 nm.

A plasma CVD device includes a chamber (102), an anode (104), a cathode (103), a holding portion which holds a substrate to be deposited (101) a plasma wall (88) an anti-adhesion member (91) which is arranged between a first gap (81) between the anode and the plasma wall and a first inner surface (102a) of the chamber and a pedestal (92) which is arranged between the anti-adhesion member and a back surface of the anode and which is electrically connected to the anode. The maximum diameter of each of the first gap, a second gap (82) between the anode and the anti-adhesion member, a third gap (83) between the back surface of the anode and the pedestal, a fourth gap (84) between the plasma wall and the anti-adhesion member and a fifth gap (85) between the anti-adhesion member and the pedestal is equal to or less than 4 mm.