GRAIN-SIZE EFFECT ON NOISE PROPERTIES IN COCRTA THIN-FILM MEDIA

Grain growth of Cr and CoCrTa thin film was examined using high resolu tion transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and high resolution scan ning microscopy (HRSEM). The effect of crystallography on media noise was studied. The grain size of the CoCrTa thin film increases with thi ckness and retains a hi-crystal structure over a range of Cr grain siz e. Media noise at a high recording density seems to increase with the grain size of Cr underlayer surface. This suggests that the micromagne tization process can be influenced by a bi-crystal structure of Co all oy films at their initial layers.