Magnetic recording media with antiferromagnetically coupled ferromagnetic film

A magnetic recording medium for data storage uses a magnetic recording layer having at least two ferromagnetic films antiferromagnetically coupled together across a nonferromagnetic spacer film. The magnetic moments of the two antiferromagnetically-coupled films are oriented antiparallel, and thus the net remanent magnetisation-thickness product (Mrt) of the recording layer is the difference in the Mrt values of the two ferromagnetic films. This reduction in Mrt is accomplished without a reduction in the thermal stability of the recording medium because the volumes of the grains in the antiferromagnetically-coupled films add constructively. In a magnetic recording rigid disk application, the magnetic layer comprises two ferromagnetic films, each a granular film of a sputter deposited coPtCrB alloy, separated by a Ru spacer film having a thickness to maximise the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between the two CoPtCrB films. One of the ferromagnetic films is made thicker than the other, but the thicknesses are chosen so that the net moment in zero applied magnetic field is low, but nonzero. In general the first and second ferromagnetic films are made of a material selected from Co, Fe, Ni and their alloys. Apart from ruthenium the spacer film may be formed of Cr, Rh, Ir, Cu and their alloys. The medium may be in the form of a disk which has an underlayer on the substrate and a protective overcoat formed on the magnetic recording layer.