Data storage disk having improved tracking capability

A data storage comprising:

• a substrate having a plurality of discrete depressions formed in a surface of said substrate;
• and
• a magnetic layer overlying said substrate, said magnetic layer conforming to the discrete depressions so as to form a corresponding plurality of discrete recesses in said magnetic layer, wherein said recesses are arranged in a stair step configuration such that the radial distance of the respective recesses from a center of the disk increases uniformly with a uniform change in azimuthal position in a particular direction.

A data storage disk comprising:

• a substrate having a plurality of discrete depressions formed in a surface of said substrate, said depressions having walls and a floor, said walls extending from said surface of said substrate downward to the floor of said depressions;
• and
• a magnetic layer overlaying said substrate, said magnetic layer conforming to the discrete depressions so as to form a corresponding plurality of discrete recesses in said magnetic layer, wherein each of said recesses comprises a sidewall of magnetic material covering the walls of an associated one of said depressions and extending from the floor of said depression to the surface of said substrate, a direction of magnetization in a region of said magnetic layer forming said sidewall of magnetic material being parallel to a surface of said sidewall of magnetic material, and a direction of magnetization in a region of said magnetic layer adjacent said recesses being parallel to said surface of said substrate, wherein an azimuthal distance between individual ones of said recesses represents ROM data.

A data storage disk comprising:

• a substrate having a plurality of discrete depressions formed in a surface of said substrate, said depressions having walls and a floor, said walls extending from said surface of said substrate downward to the floor of said depressions;
• and
• a magnetic layer overlaying said substrate, said magnetic layer conforming to the discrete depressions so as to form a corresponding plurality of discrete recesses in said magnetic layer, wherein each of said recesses comprises a sidewall of magnetic material covering the walls of an associated one of said depressions and extending from the floor of said depression to the surface of said substrate, a direction of magnetization in a region of said magnetic layer forming said sidewall of magnetic material being parallel to a surface of said sidewall of magnetic material, wherein an azimuthal distance between individual ones of said recesses represents header information.

Method of using a magnetic disk, said magnetic disk comprising a substrate having depressions formed therein, and a magnetic layer formed on said substrate, said magnetic layer generally conforming to the depressions so as to form a corresponding plurality of recesses in said magnetic layer, wherein each of said recesses comprises a sidewall of magnetic material generally perpendicular to said substrate and covering an associated one of said walls of said depressions, said method comprising the step of sensing the magnetization direction in said sidewall of magnetic material.