Beyond discrete tracks: Other aspects of patterned media

Abstract

The surface of a thin-film disk can be patterned using standard lithographic techniques to form discrete tracks as narrow as 0.5 μm. These studies have been extended to patterns formed when an etched track is broken into discrete segments by etching away some portions of a discrete track. Abrupt changes in the magnetization can be obtained by dc erasing the medium, giving readback signals with ∼50% of the amplitude of conventional transitions when the gap of the readback head is aligned with the edge of the media pattern. The implications of these results for servo and read-only applications are discussed.