Growth-control and Microstructure Characterization of Magnetic Thin Films
Speaker: Masaaki Futamoto, Professor, Chuo University, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo and Distinguished Lecturer, IEEE Magnetics Society (2011-12)
Date: November 7, 2011
Time: 1:10 p.m.
Location: 3043 ECpE Building Addition
Abstract: Various magnetic thin films are used for recording media and heads of hard disk drives. The magnetic properties have been greatly improved to cope with a continuous areal density increase of nearly 105 times over the past quarter century. The improvement has been realized by tailoring the composition and microstructure of magnetic thin films.
This lecture covers the technology and physics for controlling the microstructure of magnetic thin films, focusing mainly on perpendicular recording media and related magnetic materials. Initially, technological developments will be briefly reviewed, then the following topics will be discussed: (1) nucleation and growth of magnetic thin films on nonmagnetic underlayers, (2) nanostructure and nano-composition characterization, (3) application to perpendicular magnetic recording media, (4) magnetization structure analysis, (5) epitaxial growth of single-crystal and meta-stable magnetic thin films, and (6) patterned-type perpendicular recording media for higher densities. The relationships between film microstructure and magnetic properties will also be discussed.
Speaker bio: Dr. Masaaki Futamoto received B.E., M.E., and Dr. degrees in material science from Osaka University in 1971, 1973, and 1982, respectively. He joined Central Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd., in 1973 working on electron emissive materials. From 1982 to 1983, he was a visiting scientist at the University of Sussex, U.K. From 1983 to 2003, he has engaged in the research and development of high density magnetic recording, in particular the development of perpendicular magnetic recording media. From 1996 to 2001, he served as the leader of a research group in a Japanese National Project that was established to develop future-oriented magnetic recording technologies. In 2004, he was appointed as a professor of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University.