A first layer that includes a metal seed layer, a refractive seed or a refractive dopant is formed on a dielectric substrate. A peg of a near-field transducer is formed on the first layer such that a first surface of the peg is formed on and is in contact with the metal seed. An adhesive layer is formed over the peg using atomic layer deposition. The adhesive layer includes alumina and is 4 nm or less in thickness. A silicon dioxide overcoat is deposited over the adhesive layer. The alumina bonds the silicon dioxide to the peg.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium has a rhodium (Rh) or Rh-based alloy heat-sink layer. The Rh or Rh-based alloy does not roughen when annealed and thus does not require an intermediate layer between it and the MgO seed layer for the recording layer, so the MgO seed layer can be formed directly on and in contact with the Rh or Rh-based alloy heat-sink layer. The Rh or Rh-based alloy heat-sink layer is formed on a seed layer or multilayer that allows the Rh or Rh-based alloy to grow with the desired face-centered-cubic (fcc) crystalline structure.

Magnetic media having dual phase MgO-X seed layers with both MgO grains and segregants are provided. One such magnetic medium includes a substrate, a heatsink layer on the substrate, a dual phase seed layer on the heatsink layer, where the dual phase seed layer comprises MgO and a segregant, where a concentration of the MgO is greater than 50 percent by volume in the dual phase seed layer, and a magnetic recording layer including FePt on the dual phase seed layer.

Various aspects of this disclosure provide a recording medium for heat-assisted-magnetic-recording (HAMR). The recording medium may include a substrate. The recording medium may further include a recording layer. The recording medium may also include a thermal control layer between the recording layer and the substrate. The thermal control layer may have a thermal conductivity that increases with increasing temperature.

Thermal barrier layers and seed layers for control of thermal and structural properties of heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media are provided. One such HAMR medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, a thermal barrier layer of SrTiO.sub.3 on the heat sink layer, an underlayer of MgO on the thermal barrier layer, and a magnetic recording layer on the underlayer. Another such HAMR medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, a thermal barrier layer of an ABO3-type oxide on the heat sink layer, and a magnetic recording layer on the thermal barrier layer.

Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed for heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) that, in some examples, provide a HAMR medium with two soft underlayers (SULs) on opposing sides of a single heatsink layer. For example, a magnetic recording medium is provided that includes a lower SUL on a substrate. The lower SUL is configured and positioned within the medium to provide a first return path for magnetic flux from a magnetic recording head during a write operation. The medium also includes a heatsink layer on the lower SUL and an upper SUL on the heatsink layer. The upper SUL is configured and positioned within the medium to provide a second return path for magnetic flux from the magnetic recording head. A magnetic recording layer is provided on the upper SUL to store information during the write operation. Additional layers or films may be provided as well.

Described is an apparatus which comprises: a heat spreading layer; a first transition metal layer adjacent to the heat spreading layer; and a magnetic recording layer adjacent to the first transition metal layer. Described is an apparatus which comprises: a first electrode; a magnetic junction having a free magnet; and one or more layers of Jahn-Teller material adjacent to the first electrode and the free magnet of the magnetic junction.

A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a first heat sink layer, a barrier layer, a second heat sink layer, and a magnetic layer that are successively stacked. The magnetic layer is made of a material including a first main component that is an alloy having a L1.sub.0 crystal structure and a content of 50 at % or higher, or content of 50 mol % or higher. The barrier layer is made of a material including a second main component that is one of an oxide, a nitride, and a carbide having a content of 50 at % or higher, or content of 50 mol % or higher.

A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media structure is disclosed. The HAMR media structure includes a magnetic recording layer comprising an array of magnetic grains for storing information; a heat sink layer disposed below the magnetic recording layer and having a first thermal conductivity; and an anisotropic thermal barrier layer disposed between the magnetic recording layer and the heat sink layer and having a vertical thermal conductivity and an in-plane thermal conductivity, wherein the vertical thermal conductivity is substantially higher than the in-plane thermal conductivity.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium includes a perpendicular magnetic recording layer (typically a chemically-ordered FePt alloy), a seed/thermal barrier layer (typically MgO) below the recording layer, and a heat-sink layer with anisotropic thermal conductivity below the seed/thermal barrier layer. The in-plane thermal conductivity of the heat-sink layer is greater than its out-of-plane thermal conductivity. The heat-sink layer may be selected from hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), hexagonal graphite, and the 6H polytype of hexagonal silicon carbide (6H-SiC). If the heat-sink layer is h-BN, the h-BN layer is formed on a seed layer and has its c-axis oriented out-of-plane (substantially orthogonal to the surface of the medium substrate).