A soft underlayer (SUL) and methods for making an SUL are provided, the SUL having characteristics that make it compatible with the high temperature requirements associated with heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media growth and writing, e.g., temperatures greater than 500° C. The SUL may have a high crystallization temperature of greater than 450° C. and a high Curie temperature greater than 300° C., for example. Additionally, the SUL can maintain a saturation magnetization value greater than, e.g., 9 kGauss, at such high temperatures, thereby having the ability to remain amorphous at temperatures up to, e.g., 650° C., and exhibiting a relatively flat integrated noise profile from approximately 300° C. to 650° C. Further still, a spacer layer material is chosen such that inter-diffusion does not occur at these high temperatures.

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.

An ink-printed substrate comprising a substrate and water-based ink composition printed on the substrate, wherein the ink-printed substrate has an average color density of at least about 0.48 or greater.

A magnetic recording medium of the present invention is a magnetic recording medium including a non-magnetic substrate; a non-magnetic layer that is formed on one of principal surfaces of the non-magnetic substrate and contains a non-magnetic powder, a binder, and a lubricant; and a magnetic layer that is formed on a principal surface of the non-magnetic layer opposite to the non-magnetic substrate and contains a magnetic powder and a binder. The magnetic powder has an average particle size between 10 nm and 35 nm inclusive. The lubricant is migratable to the magnetic layer and forms a lubricant layer on a surface of the magnetic layer when a pressure is applied to the magnetic layer. When spacing of the surface of the magnetic layer before and after washing the lubricant with n-hexane is measured with a TSA (Tape Spacing Analyzer), the value of the spacing after washing is 3 to 10 nm, and the value of the spacing before washing is 1 to 5 nm smaller than the value of the spacing after washing.

The invention provides a magnetic recording medium with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio during reading by reducing the noise produced during writing of data onto the magnetic recording medium, and increasing the signal level. The assisted magnetic recording medium according to one embodiment comprising a substrate, a base layer, and a magnetic layer composed mainly of an alloy with an L1.sub.0-type crystal structure, the assisted magnetic recording medium having a pinning layer in contact with the magnetic layer, and the pinning layer including Co or an alloy composed mainly of Co.

A magnetic recording medium according to a first technique includes an elongated substrate having a first surface and a second surface, a first reinforcing layer disposed on the first surface, a second reinforcing layer disposed on the second surface, an adhesion suppressing layer disposed on the second reinforcing layer, and a recording layer disposed on the first reinforcing layer or the adhesion suppressing layer.

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.

A magnetic recording medium includes a support, a recording layer, and a protective layer provided on at least one surface of the support and containing plate-shaped particle powder. The plate-shaped particle powder is stacked in an overlapping manner in a thickness direction of the protective layer such that main surfaces of plate-shaped particles face a surface of the support, and the plate-shaped particles have an average plate ratio of 60 or more.

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 is provided that includes, in the order recited, a substrate; a first seed layer; a second seed layer containing ZnO; a third seed layer containing MgO; and a magnetic recording layer containing an ordered alloy. The first seed layer contains Ru and at least one material selected from the group consisting of oxides, carbides, and nitrides. Employing seed layers enables the magnetic recording medium to be a perpendicular magnetic recording medium by having the magnetic recording layer contain an ordered alloy suitable for perpendicular magnetic recording. Recording density is improved thereby while ensuring required thermal stability. Further, the invention achieves an increased thickness of the magnetic layer and a reduced grain size.