US 12,260,889 B1
Magnetic recording media with sacrificial layer and corresponding etching processes to minimize head to media spacing
Wei Guo, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Ge Xu, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/386,936.
Int. Cl. G11B 5/66 (2006.01); G11B 5/00 (2006.01); G11B 5/73 (2006.01); G11B 5/84 (2006.01)
CPC G11B 5/66 (2013.01) [G11B 5/7375 (2019.05); G11B 5/7379 (2019.05); G11B 5/84 (2013.01); G11B 2005/0021 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A magnetic recording medium comprising:
a substrate;
a heat sink layer on the substrate;
a magnetic recording layer (MRL) on the heat sink layer, the MRL comprising a plurality of recording grains separated by a segregant at grain boundaries of the plurality of recording grains;
a capping layer on the MRL and comprising a magnetic material at positions corresponding to the plurality of recording grains and a capping segregant at positions corresponding to the grain boundaries; and
a sacrificial layer embedded in the capping layer at positions corresponding to the grain boundaries, the sacrificial layer comprising a non-magnetic material different from the capping segregant;
wherein a top surface of the capping layer and a top surface of the sacrificial layer are substantially coplanar; and
wherein the sacrificial layer is on the capping segregant and both the sacrificial layer and the capping segregant are in contact with the magnetic material of the capping layer.