Buried servo patterned media

The present invention relates to data storage devices and, in particular, to a method of encoding servo information on discs and hard disc drives manufactured using the same. A data storage system includes a data storage disc for storing magnetically encoded data and servo information. The data storage disc includes a data layer adapted to be magnetically encoded with data to be written to the data storage disc, and a servo information layer formed beneath the data layer and having magnetic servo pits formed therein to provide servo information. The magnetic servo pits are positioned in portions of the servo information layer which are at least partially directly beneath magnetically encoded data regions on the data layer such that a data head can read both magnetically stored data and servo information from the disc at substantially the same time. A method of fabricating a magnetic data disc is also disclosed.