Multilayer magnetic recording media with columnar microstructure for improved exchange decoupling

An exchange decoupled magnetic recording film comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers, and the columnar microstructure extends in a substantially perpendicular direction through the magnetic and spacer layers.

A magnetic recording media comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a hard magnetic recording film of the substrate comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers, and the granular columns extend through all of the magnetic and spacer layers.

A magnetic recording media comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a hard magnetic recording film on the substrate comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers, and the granular columns have substantially equiaxed cross sections.

A magnetic recording media comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a hard magnetic recording film on the substrate comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundry layers having thicknesses of from about 0.3 to about 2 nm.

A magnetic recording media comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a hard magnetic recording film on the substrate comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers comprising an oxide of at least one metal selected from Cr, B, Ta, Nb, Y, La and rare earth elements.

A magnetic recording media comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a hard magnetic recording film on the substrate comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers, and the spacer layers comprise at least one metal selected from Pd, Pt and Au.

A magnetic recording media comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a hard magnetic recording film on the substrate comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers, and the magnetic layers comprise at least one metal selected from Co, Ni and Fe, the spacer layers comprise at least one metal selected from Pd and Pt, and the magnetic and spacer layers further comprise at least one additive selected from Cr, Pt, B, Ta, Nb, Y, La, rare earth elements and SiO2.

A magnetic recording media comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a hard magnetic recording film of the substrate comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microsstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers, and the magnetic and spacer layers have average grain sizes of less than about 20 nm.

A magnetic recording media comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a hard magnetic recording film on the substrate comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a micrstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers, and the hard magnetic recording film comprises from 2 to 30 layers of each of the magnetic material and spacer material.

A magnetic recording media comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• a hard magnetic recording film on the substrate comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers, and the magnetic recording media is a perpendicular magnetic recording media.

An exchange decoupled magnetic recording film comprising alternating layers of magnetic material and spacer material, wherein the magnetic material and spacer material comprise a microstructure including granular columns separated by oxidized boundary layers, and all of the layers of magnetic material and spacer material are exchange decoupled.