# US 2013/0155549 A1 · Patterned magnetic storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0155549 A1 - Document ID: US20130155549A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/332,206 - Filed: 2011-12-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20 - Assignees: HGST Netherlands B.V. - Inventors: Kurt A. Rubin; Manfred E. Schabes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155549A1 ## CPC - G11B 5/746: {Bit Patterned record carriers, wherein each magnetic isolated data island corresponds to a bit} - G11B 5/855: Coating only part of a support with a magnetic layer - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract According to one embodiment, a patterned magnetic storage medium is disclosed herein. The magnetic storage medium includes a magnetic domain, a substantially non-magnetic region laterally adjacent to the magnetic domain, and an exchange spring structure disposed between the magnetic domain and the laterally adjacent non-magnetic region wherein the exchange spring structure comprises implanted ions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetic storage medium, comprising: a magnetic domain; a substantially non-magnetic region laterally adjacent to the magnetic domain; and an exchange spring structure surrounding the magnetic domain and disposed between the magnetic domain and the non-magnetic region, the exchange spring structure comprising implanted ions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The magnetic storage media of claim 1, wherein the exchange spring structure comprises a vertical portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The magnetic storage media of claim 1, wherein the exchange spring structure separates the magnetic domain from substantially any portion of the non-magnetic region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The patterned magnetic storage media of claim 1, wherein the magnetic domain and the non-magnetic region are formed substantially in a planar storage layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The magnetic storage media of claim 4, wherein the exchange spring structure extends into the planar storage layer in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the planar storage layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The magnetic storage media of claim 5, wherein the exchange spring structure comprises a substantially U-shaped cross-section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The magnetic storage media of claim 1, further comprising an exchange bridge, the exchange bridge comprising a magnetic material that extends between the magnetic domain and one or more additional magnetic domains. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The magnetic storage media of claim 7, wherein the exchange bridge comprises a homogenous exchange bridge layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The magnetic storage media of claim 7, wherein the exchange bridge comprises a non-uniform exchange bridge layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The magnetic storage media of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the exchange spring structure extends into the non-uniform exchange bridge layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The magnetic storage media of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of exchange bridges, each exchange bridge comprising a magnetic material that extends between the magnetic domain and one or more additional magnetic domains. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The magnetic storage media of claim 1, wherein the magnetic domain comprises a perpendicular magnetic storage material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The magnetic storage media of claim 1, wherein the magnetic domain comprises a parallel magnetic storage material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The magnetic storage media of claim 1, wherein the magnetic domain is comprised in a magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) bit. ### Claim 15 A method of fabricating a magnetic storage medium, the method comprising: fabricating a storage layer; fabricating a mask on the storage layer, the mask comprising an opening to an exposed surface of the storage layer; implanting a first ion species into the exposed surface of the storage layer to form a first ion region; and implanting a second ion species into the exposed surface of the storage layer to form a second ion region; wherein the first ion species is different from the second ion species and wherein the second ion region is contained within the first ion region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein a material within the second ion region comprises magnetic properties different from the material within the first ion region. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the material within the first ion region but external to the second ion region comprises an exchange spring structure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising implanting a third species into the exposed surface of the storage layer to form a third ion region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising fabricating an exchange bridge layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein implanting the first species comprises implanting the first species with a first energy and a first dose and implanting the second species comprises implanting the second species with a second energy and a second dose, wherein one or more of: the first dose is different from the second dose; and the first energy is different from the second energy. ### Claim 21 A magnetic disk drive system comprising: a controller module; a suspension arm; a read/write head; and a magnetic storage disk, the magnetic storage disk comprising a planar storage layer, the planar storage layer comprising a magnetic domain, a substantially non-magnetic region laterally adjacent to the magnetic domain, and an exchange spring structure disposed between the magnetic domain and the non-magnetic region wherein the exchange spring structure comprises implanted ions.