A magnetic recording medium includes a layer structure including a magnetic layer, a non-magnetic layer, and a base layer in this order, in which an average thickness t.sub.T is t.sub.T5.5 m, a dimensional variation w in a width direction to tension change in a longitudinal direction is 660 ppm/Nw, and an average thickness t.sub.n of the non-magnetic layer is t.sub.n1.0 m.

Provided is a sputtering target, comprising: from 0.001 mol % to 0.5 mol % of Bi; from 45 mol % or less of Cr; 45 mol % or less of Pt; 60 mol % or less of Ru; and a total of 1 mol % to 35 mol % of at least one metal oxide, the balance being Co and inevitable impurities.

Disclosed is a perpendicularly magnetized film structure using a highly heat resistant underlayer film on which a cubic or tetragonal perpendicularly magnetized film can grow, comprising a substrate of a cubic single crystal substrate having a (001) plane or a substrate having a cubic oriented film that grows to have the (001) plane; an underlayer formed on the substrate from a thin film of a metal having an hcp structure in which the [0001] direction of the thin metal film forms an angle in the range of 42 to 54 with respect to the <001> direction or the (001) orientation of the substrate; and a perpendicularly magnetized layer located on the metal underlayer and formed from a cubic material selected from a Co-based Heusler alloy and a cobalt-iron (CoFe) alloy having a bcc structure a constituent material, and grown to have the (001) plane.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium has a non-magnetic multilayered overcoat on the recording layer. The overcoat includes a heat-dissipation layer, a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer on and in contact with the heat-dissipation layer, and an optional interface layer between and in contact with the recording layer and the heat-dissipation layer. The heat-dissipation layer is a material with relatively high in-plane thermal conductivity, substantially higher than the in-plane thermal conductivity of both the DLC layer and the recording layer. The heat-dissipation layer laterally spreads the heat generated in the DLC layer by absorption of light from the near-field transducer to thereby reduce the temperature of the DLC layer. The optional interface layer is a material with relatively low thermal conductivity and increases the thermal resistance between the recording layer and the heat-dissipation layer.

A magnetic recording medium includes a layer structure including a magnetic layer, a non-magnetic layer, and a base layer in this order, in which an average thickness t.sub.T is t.sub.T5.5 m, a dimensional variation w in a width direction to tension change in a longitudinal direction is 660 ppm/Nw, and an average thickness t.sub.n of the non-magnetic layer is t.sub.n1.0 m.

Large magnetic moment compositions are formed by stabilizing ternary or other alloys with a epitaxial control layer. Compositions that are unstable in bulk specimen are thus stabilized and exhibit magnetic moments that are greater that a Slater-Pauling limit. In one example, Fe.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.z layers are produced on an MgO(001) substrate with an MgO surface serving to control the structure of the Fe.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.z layers. Magnetizations greater than 3 Bohr magnetons are produced.

A device includes a housing unit and a number of magnets. The housing unit includes a number of holes therein. The magnets are positioned in the holes. The magnets have a same pole orientation. It is appreciated that the magnets are positioned in the holes to form a mechanically balanced and magnetically unbalanced structure.

Perpendicular magnetic recording media including a carbon grain isolation initiation layer for reducing intergranular exchange coupling in the recording layer are provided. In one such case, the media includes a substrate, a plurality of underlayers on the substrate, a grain isolation initiation layer (GIIL) on the plurality of underlayers, the GIIL including C, a metal, and an oxide, and a magnetic recording layer directly on the GIIL and including a non-ordered structure. In another case, a method of fabricating such magnetic media is provided.

A magnetic recording medium includes: a substrate; an underlayer; a magnetic layer including an alloy having an L1.sub.0 type crystal structure; and a protective layer, wherein the substrate, the underlayer, the magnetic layer, and the protective layer are stacked in the recited order. A pinning layer is further included between the magnetic layer and the protective layer, and the pinning layer includes a magnetic material including Co and includes at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, Au, and Al.

A magnetic recording medium includes: a substrate; an underlayer; a magnetic layer including an alloy having an L1.sub.0 type crystal structure; and a protective layer, wherein the substrate, the underlayer, the magnetic layer, and the protective layer are stacked in the recited order. A pinning layer is further included between the magnetic layer and the protective layer, and the pinning layer includes a magnetic material including Co and includes at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, Au, and Al.