Magnetic stack including TiN-X intermediate layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9368142-B2
Application number	US-201314035931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2013
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A magnetic stack includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer, and a TiN—X layer disposed between the substrate and the magnetic recording layer. In the TiN—X layer, X is a dopant comprising at least one of MgO, TiO, TiO 2 , ZrN, ZrO, ZrO 2 , HfN, HfO, AlN, and Al 2 O 3 .

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A stack, comprising;
a substrate;
a magnetic recording layer; and
a TiN—X layer disposed between the substrate and the magnetic recording layer, wherein X is a dopant, the TiN—X layer comprising at least about 60% TiN by volume and wherein X is either TiO x in an amount greater than 0% and less than or equal to about 40% by volume or X is ZrO x in an amount greater than 0% and less than or equal to about 30% by volume, the TiN—X layer comprising a two phase granular layer having at least one of TiN—X and TiN grains and wherein at least some of the dopant is disposed at grain boundaries between the grains of the TiN—X layer.

2. The stack of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic recording layer comprises:
magnetic crystalline grains comprising at least one of FePt, FeXPt alloy, FePd, FeXPd, Co 3 Pt; and
a non-magnetic segregant disposed between the crystalline grains and comprising at least one of an oxide, nitride, boride, and carbide material.

3. The stack of claim 1 , wherein X is TiO 2 and X is present in the TiN—X layer in an amount greater than 0 and less than or equal to about 40 vol. %.

4. The stack of claim 1 , wherein X is ZrO 2 and X is present in the TiN—X layer in an amount greater than 0 and less than or equal to about 30 vol. %.

5. The stack of claim 1 , wherein:
X comprises TiO 2 , and
the magnetic recording layer comprises magnetic crystalline grains and non-magnetic segregant disposed between the crystalline grains and the crystalline grains have an average diameter in the plane of the magnetic layer that is less than about 8.5 nm.

6. The stack of claim 1 , wherein:
X comprises ZrO 2 ; and
the magnetic recording layer comprises magnetic crystalline grains and non-magnetic segregant disposed between the crystalline grains and the crystalline grains have an average diameter in the plane of the magnetic layer that is less than about 6 nm.

7. The stack of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic recording layer comprises magnetic crystalline grains of FePt and a non-magnetic segregant comprising SiO x and C disposed between the crystalline grains, the magnetic layer comprising SiO x in an amount between about 35 and about 45 vol. % and C in an amount of about 20 vol. %.

8. The stack of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the TiN—X layer less than about 30 nm.

9. The stack of claim 1 , further comprising a soft magnetic underlayer comprising one or more of CrRu and MgO, wherein the TiN—X layer is disposed on the soft magnetic underlayer.

10. The stack of claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the TiN—X layer is between about 5 nm and about 10 nm.

11. The stack of claim 1 , wherein X is TiO2 and the TiN—X layer comprises TiO 0.45 N 0.55 .

12. The stack of claim 1 , further comprising an undoped TiN layer arranged between the substrate and the TiN—X layer.

13. The stack of claim 12 , wherein heat conduction through the TiN—X layer normal to the stack surface is greater than lateral heat conduction in the TiN—X layer.

14. The stack of claim 1 , wherein an amount of X in the TiN—X layer varies in a direction normal to the stack surface.

15. The stack of claim 14 , wherein the TiN—X layer comprises TiO y N 1-y , wherein y varies in a direction normal to a surface of the stack.

16. The stack of claim 14 , wherein the TiN—X layer comprises ZrTiO y N 1-y , wherein y varies in a direction normal to a surface of the stack.

17. A method, comprising:
forming a TiN—X layer by co-depositing TiN and X, wherein X comprises one of at least one of TiO x and ZrO x ; and
epitaxially growing an FePt magnetic layer on the TiN—X layer, the TiN—X layer comprising at least about 60% TiN by volume and wherein X is present in the TiN—X in an amount greater than 0% and less than or equal to about 40% by volume, the TiN—X layer comprising a two phase granular layer having at least one of TiN—X and TiN grains and wherein at least some of the dopant is disposed at grain boundaries between the grains of the TiN—X layer.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming a soft magnetic underlayer, wherein the TiN—X layer is grown on a soft magnetic underlayer.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the soft magnetic underlayer comprises one or more of CrRu and MgO.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming a TiN layer, wherein the TiN—X layer is formed on the TiN layer.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Chen Jingsheng
• Li Huihui
• Ju Ganping
• Peng Yingguo

Classifications

• G11B5/667

  including a soft magnetic layer · CPC title

• G11B5/65

  characterised by its composition (G11B5/66 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/0641

  Nitrides (C23C14/0617 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/7325

  Physics · mapped topic

• G11B5/738 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic