Using plated surface for recording media without polishing

• US 6,689,413 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Huang, Lin, Brown, David E., Liu, Connie C., Leigh, Joseph, Zhong, Linda L., Beresford, Ian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): VerSteeg, Steven H.
• Application Number:
  US09/895,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20020071968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.15, 427/131, 427/402, 205/186, 205/198, 205/155, 205/258, 205/271, 205/318
• US Class Current: 427/131
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/7368 Non-polymeric layer under the lowermost magnetic recording layer base layers having a non-magnetic layer under a soft magnetic layer G11B5/736; magnetic recording media substrates G11B5/739
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/73913 Composites or coated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/82 Disk carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/8404 manufacturing base layers

Abstract

Ultra smooth as-deposited composite nickel coatings for use in an information storage system are provided. The composite nickel coatings include an electrolessly deposited nickel layer formed on a sputter deposited nickel layer. The composite nickel coatings have an as-deposited surface roughness of less than about 10 Å. Embodiments include formation of the composite nickel coating on a disk, followed by deposition of an underlayer and magnetic layer thereon to form a magnetic recording medium.

Claims

1. A method of forming an information storage medium for having a composite nickel-containing coating comprising:

forming a sputtered nickel-containing layer comprising sputtering a first nickel-containing layer onto a substrate; and

forming an electrolessly deposited nickel-containing layer comprising electrolessly depositing a second nickel-containing layer onto the sputtered nickel-containing layer to achieve, an as-deposited average surface roughness (Ra) less than about 10 Å

.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sputtered nickel-containing layer comprises nickel-phosphorous.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sputtered nickel-containing layer has a thickness in a range of about 10 Å

to about 1000 Å

.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrolessly deposited nickel-containing layer comprises nickel-phosphorous.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrolessly deposited nickel-containing layer has a thickness in a range of about 0.5 microns to about 10 microns.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

depositing an underlayer onto the electrolessly deposited nickel-containing layer; and

depositing a magnetic layer onto the underlayer to form a magnetic recording medium.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising depositing at least one adhesion enhancement layer onto the substrate prior to forming the sputtered nickel-containing layer, wherein the sputtered nickel-containing layer is formed over the adhesion enhancement layer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one adhesion enhancement layer comprises at least one of chromium (Cr), chromium alloy, titanium tungsten (TiW), and zinc (Zn).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate has a macro-waviness less than about 1000 Å

.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a disk formed from a non-magnetic material.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a material of the substrate is selected from the group consisting of glass, glass-ceramic, reacted metal-ceramic, aluminum alloy, and graphite and metal matrix composite.

12. A method of forming an information storage medium for use in an information storage system, comprising:

forming a composite nickel-containing coating on a disk comprising sputtering a nickel-containing layer on the disk;

electrolessly depositing a nickel-containing layer on the shuttered nickel-containing layer, wherein the composite nickel-containing coating has a surface roughness (Ra) less than about 10 Å

; and

depositing at least one zincate coating on the disk prior to the formation of the sputtered nickel-containing layer thereon.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the sputtered nickel-containing layer comprises nickel-phosphorous.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the sputtered nickel-containing layer has a thickness in a range of about 10 Å

to about 1000 Å

.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the electrolessly deposited nickel-containing layer comprises nickel-phosphorous.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the electrolessly deposited nickel-containing layer has a thickness in a range of about 0.5 microns to about 10 microns.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

depositing an underlayer onto the electrolessly deposited nickel-containing layer; and

depositing a magnetic layer onto the underlayer to form a magnetic recording medium.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the disk has a macro-waviness less than about 1000 Å

.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the disk is formed from a non-magnetic material.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein a material of the disk is selected from the group consisting of glass, glass-ceramic, reacted metal-ceramic, aluminum alloy, and graphite and metal matrix composite.