Thin film media (CoCr films with perpendicular anisotropy)

Sputtered or evaporated thin films, mainly of CoCr, promise an increase of the recording density. Longitudinal and vertical recording are under discussion. Films with perpendicular anisotropy offer the possibility of extremely high recording density, which at present, is not limited by the film itself but by the resolution of the magnetic head. The mechanism of the magnetization reversal in the film is rather unexplained, yet. It has to be investigated by high resolution domain observations, like Lorentz microscopy, Kerr magneto-optic observations, or Bitter pattern technique. The combination of as many different investigations of the field-dependent magnetic properties as possible will finally lead to an understanding of the magnetization reversal process.