Magnetic Properties and Microstructure of the Electroless Co-P Thin Film Media on the Textured Substrates

The effect of circumferential texturing on the magnetic and microstructural properties of electroless-plated CoP thin films for high-density longitudinal magnetic recording media was investigated. The texturing was found to induce magnetic anisotropy of the CoP thin films along the circumferential direction, causing an increase in coercivity (Hc, coercive squareness (S*) and SQR (Mr/Ms) values in that direction. SEM observation revealed that grains of the CoP film deposited on the textured substrate formed a coagulum along the grooves. It is therefore suggested that the magnetic anisotropy of the film is due to the shape anisotropy caused by such film morphology.