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US4900622A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Magnetic recording medium

Assignee: TDK Corp
•
Filing: 1987-09-16
•
Granted: 1990-02-13
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Expires: 2007-09-16
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Abstract

Abstract A magnetic recording medium comprising a ferromagnetic metal thin film comprised predominantly of cobalt on a substrate is improved in durability and performance by forming the ferromagnetic metal thin film as a multi-layered structure including at least two layers, one or both of which contain an organic polymer. A plasma-polymerized film may be provided as an interlayer between the layers of the metal thin film or as a topcoat.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masatoshi Nakayama
  • 👤 Koji Kobayashi
  • 👤 Kunihiro Ueda
  • 👤 Mitsuru Takai
  • 👤 Shigeo Kurose

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 21:54
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/225; C23C14/226; G; G11; G11B; G11B5/00; G11B5/62; G11B5/64; G11B5/66; G11B5/672; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/90; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/26; Y10T428/263; Y10T428/264; Y10T428/265

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim 100 words
In a magnetic recording medium comprising a plastic substrate and a ferromagnetic metal thin film comprised predominately of cobalt on the substrate, the improvement wherein said ferromagnetic metal thin film has a multi-layered structure including at least two layers, a lowermost layer adjoining the substrate and an uppermost layer remote from the substrate, at least one of which contains carbon, wherein the quotient C2/C1 is up to 0.3 provided that the lowermost layer has an oxygen concentration C2 at its interface with said substrate and the uppermost layer has an oxygen concentration C1 at its surface remote from said substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 100 words
In a magnetic recording medium comprising a plastic substrate and a ferromagnetic metal thin film comprised predominately of cobalt on the substrate, the improvement wherein said ferromagnetic metal thin film has a multi-layered structure including at least two layers, a lowermost layer adjoining the substrate and an uppermost layer remote from the substrate, at least one of which contains carbon, wherein the quotient C2/C1 is up to 0.3 provided that the lowermost layer has an oxygen concentration C2 at its interface with said substrate and the uppermost layer has an oxygen concentration C1 at its surface remote from said substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 105 words
In a magnetic recording medium comprising a plastic substrate and a ferromagnetic metal thin film comprised predominately of cobalt on the substrate, the improvement wherein said ferromagnetic metal thin film has a multi-layered structure including at least two layers, a lowermost layer adjoining the substrate and an uppermost layer remote from the substrate, at least on of which contains carbon, and wherein the quotient C3/C1 ranges from 0.1-3.0 provided that a layer directly adjoining the uppermost layer has an oxygen concentration C3 at its interface with said uppermost layer and the uppermost layer has an oxygen concentration C1 at its surface remote from said substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 105 words
In a magnetic recording medium comprising a plastic substrate and a ferromagnetic metal thin film comprised predominately of cobalt on the substrate, the improvement wherein said ferromagnetic metal thin film has a multi-layered structure including at least two layers, a lowermost layer adjoining the substrate and an uppermost layer remote from the substrate, at least on of which contains carbon, and wherein the quotient C3/C1 ranges from 0.1-3.0 provided that a layer directly adjoining the uppermost layer has an oxygen concentration C3 at its interface with said uppermost layer and the uppermost layer has an oxygen concentration C1 at its surface remote from said substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1 or 2 wherein the carbon-containing layer has an atom ratio of carbon to metal of from 10 -8 :1 to 10 -2 :1.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 33 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1 or 2 wherein the total ferromagnetic metal thin film has an atom ration of carbon to metal of from 10 -8 :1 to 10 -2 :1.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 61 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1 or 2 wherein said layers are formed by evaporating a ferromagnetic metal material, the minimum incident angle at which the evaporated metal material is deposited on the substrate is set 50° C. or lower during formation of the lowermost layer and ranges from 20° C. to 90° C. during formation of the uppermost layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1 or 2 wherein the ferromagnetic metal thin film is of a two-layer structure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 40 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1 or 2, which further comprises a topcoat layer on said ferromagnetic metal thin film, said topcoat layer comprising a plasma-polymerized film containing carbon and fluorine, the carbon content ranging from 30-80 atom %.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 41 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1 or 2, which further comprises a topcoat layer on said ferromagnetic metal thin film, said topcoat layer comprising a plasma-polymerized film containing carbon, fluorine and hydrogen, the carbon content ranging from 30-80 atom %.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 51 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1, wherein the quotient C3/C1 ranges from 0.1-3.0 provided that a layer directly adjoining the uppermost layer has an oxygen concentration C3 at its interface with said uppermost layer and the uppermost layer has an oxygen concentration C1 at its surface remote from said substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 23 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1 or 2, which further comprises a plasma-polymerized film disposed between the lowermost layer and the substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 32 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 10 wherein the plasma-polymerized film is comprised of carbon or carbon and at least one element selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 20 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 11 wherein the plasma-polymerized film comprised of 30 to 100 atom % of carbon.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 22 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 11 wherein in the plasma-polymerized film, the atom ratio of C/H ranges from 1:1 to 6:1.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 19 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 11 wherein the plasma-polymerized film has a thickness of 3 to 80 Å.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 27 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1 or 2, which further comprises a plasma-polymerized film disposed between any two adjoining layers of the ferromagnetic metal thin film.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 27 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 1 or 2, which further comprises a plasma-polymerized film disposed on the surface of the uppermost layer remote from the substrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 27 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 15, wherein the plasma-polymerized film is comprised of carbon and at least one optional element selected from hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 27 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 16, wherein the plasma-polymerized film is comprised of carbon and at least one optional element selected from hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 21 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 18 wherein in the plasma-polymerized topcoat film, the hydrogen-to-fluorine atom ratio is up to 1.0.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 22 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 19 wherein in the plasma-polymerized topcoat film, the fluorine-to-carbon atom ratio being from 3/10 to 2/1.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 34 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 20 wherein the plasma-polymerized topcoat film comprises carbon, fluorine, and hydrogen, the carbon-to-hydrogen and hydrogen-to-fluorine atom ratios being from 2/1 to 8/1 and from 2/10 to 1/1, respectively.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 19 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 19 wherein the topcoat film has a thickness of 3 to 80 Å.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 65 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 19 wherein in the plasma-polymerized topcoat film, the average fluorine-to-carbon atom ratio (F/C) in the region of said film that extends from the surface remote from the substrate to 1/3rd of its thickness is at least 1.5 times that in the region of the film that extends from the surface adjacent to the substrate to 1/3rd of its thickness.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 50 words
The magnetic recording medium of claim 19 which further comprises a plasma-polymerized interlayer disposed between the lowermost layer and the substrate or between any two adjoining layers of the ferromagnetic metal thin film, said interlayer containing carbon, or carbon and at least one elements selected from hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-02-12 1993-08-14 1994-02-13 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-02-12 1997-08-14 1998-02-13 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-02-12 2001-08-14 2002-02-13 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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