High-density recording performance of media with CoCrPtTa/Cr/NiP on glass ceramic substrate

The comparison of magnetic recording performance at high density between two kinds of CoCrPtTa/Cr/NiP thin films, one with Co(1 (1) over bar 20)//Cr(200) and another with Co(10 (1) over bar 1)//Cr(110) texture, on glass ceramic substrate is reported. The testing results have shown that the former films have lower transition noise, smaller partial erasure effect, and better offtrack capability in partial response maximum likelihood channel which also enhances the estimated areal density. The better performance of the films with Co(1 (1) over bar 20)//Cr(200) texture may be attributed to microstructure of Cr underlayer which results in bicrystal structure of magnetic layer and smaller Cr grain size. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.