A data media may generally be configured in accordance with various embodiments with contactingly adjacent first and second heatsink layers that are tuned with a common crystallographic orientation and with different thermal conductivities to provide a predetermined thermal gradient. The data media may further be configured with a recording layer formed with the common crystallographic orientation adjacent the first and second heatsink layers.

Described are heat assisted magnetic read-write heads that include a coupler, a waveguide, a transducer, and appurtenant structures.

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.

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.

Provided herein is a method including depositing an amorphous magnetic soft underlayer (SUL) over a substrate. A first portion of a heatsink layer is deposited over the SUL, wherein the first portion includes first heat conductive grains that are separated by first grain boundaries. A second portion of the heatsink layer is deposited over the first portion, wherein the second portion includes second heat conductive grains that are separated by second grain boundaries. The second grain boundaries are thicker than the first grain boundaries. A third portion of the heatsink layer is deposited over the second portion, wherein the third portion includes third heat conductive grains that are separated by third grain boundaries. The third grain boundaries are thicker than the second grain boundaries. A granular recording layer is deposited over the heatsink layer.

A magnetic stack includes a interlayer structure and a magnetic recording layer disposed over the interlayer in the magnetic stack. The magnetic recording layer includes substantially ordered L.sub.10, <001> oriented crystalline magnetic grains laterally separated by a nonmagnetic, segregant material. The interlayer structure comprises a first layer having cubic crystal structure including <100> oriented crystalline grains and a second layer having crystalline grains laterally separated by a segregant material. The crystalline grains of the second layer are arranged in substantially vertically contiguous alignment with the crystalline grains of the first layer and the segregant material of the magnetic recording layer is arranged in substantially vertically contiguous alignment with the segregant material of the second layer.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium includes a substrate, a bi-layer, a heat-sink layer, and a magnetic-recording layer. The bi-layer includes a seed layer disposed on the substrate, and a thermal-transport-control layer (TTCL) disposed on seed layer. The heat-sink layer is disposed on the TTCL; and the magnetic-recording layer is disposed on the heat-sink layer. The bi-layer is configured to enable use of a 50% thinner heat-sink layer that allows use of a reduced operating current of a laser in HAMR write operations while maintaining about the same write performance parameters as a HAMR medium that includes a thermal-barrier layer (TBL) and twice as thick heat-sink layer. A HAMR data-storage device that incorporates the HAMR medium within a HAMR disk, and a method for making the HAMR medium are also described.

A stack includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer having a columnar structure, and an interlayer disposed between the substrate and the magnetic recording layer. The columnar structure includes magnetic grains separated by a crystalline segregant or a combination of crystalline and amorphous segregants.

A stack includes a substrate and a magnetic recording layer. Disposed between the substrate and magnetic recording layer is an MgOTi(ON) layer.

Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed to provide a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium that includes a sacrificial layer and corresponding etching processes to minimize head to media spacing. The medium may include the sacrificial layer and a capping layer where each of the layers is etched to reduce roughness. The sacrificial layer is configured to ensure an etch rate that allows for selective etching and may be deposited on the capping layer and after etching, may remain along grain boundaries of the capping layer. The remaining portions of the sacrificial layer may form a discontinuous layer, including layer segments positioned along grain boundaries of the capping layer. The sacrificial layer may be made of non-magnetic materials different from the materials of the capping layer or materials of an overcoat layer deposited on the etched capping layer.