Effects of exchange coupling between cap layer and oxide layer on the recording performance in perpendicular media

摘要

To understand the effects of exchange coupling between the CoCr-alloy cap layer and the CoCrPt-oxide layer in perpendicular media, we measured switching dynamics and recording performances of a series of media with various exchange-coupling layer thicknesses on a high-precision spinstand. This study shows that the cap and the oxide layers have different switching dynamics and sufficiently strong exchange coupling is necessary for adequate thermal stability. Exchange coupling improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) through improved writability and reduced noise from the cap. In the strong coupling region, overwrite and write widths can be varied without loss in SNR.