Magnetic and recording properties of patterned perpendicular islands

Patterned media are one of the approaches to achieving 500 Gb/in/sup 2/ and beyond recording densities. This paper presents an overview of a number of aspects of discrete bit media, including fabrication techniques, recording properties, and fundamental magnetic switching studies. The use of focused ion beam patterning is described as a means to fabricate 50 nm CoPtCr single domain islands. Recording results on such arrays using a quasi-static tester is presented and head synchronization requirements, jitter and SNR data is discussed. The importance of island switching field distribution as well as write head field gradient is shown. However, while FIB is a very convenient means of fabricating test structures, it is slow and not amenable to mass production of patterned disks.