Precision-etched textured stop/start zone for magnetic-recording disks

A magnetic-recording disk comprising:

• a metal substrate disk;
• a thin-film coating on a surface of the metal substrate disk, wherein the material of the thin-film coating has a material hardness greater than that of the metal substrate disk and is selected from the group consisting of carbides and borides of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten, and wherein either an annular area of an outer surface of the thin-film coating is textured or an annular area of said surface of the metal substrate disk is textured;
• and
• a layer of magnetic-recording material that overlies the thin-film coating and replicates the texturing of the thin-film coating or the metal substrate disk.

A method for manufacturing magnetic-recording media, including the steps of:

• providing a metal substrate disk;
• applying a thin-film coating to a surface of the metal substrate disk, wherein the thin-film coating has a material hardness greater than that of the metal substrate disk and is selected from the group consisting of nitrides, carbides and borides of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten, and wherein either an annular area of an outer surface of the thin-film coating is textured or an annular area of said surface of the metal substrate disk is textured;
• and
• applying a layer of magnetic-recording material composed of cobalt or a cobalt alloy and overlying the thin-film coating to form a magnetic-recording medium having an outer surface at least a portion of which is textured.