Heat exchange – With retainer for removable article
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-21
2001-06-26
Leo, Leonard (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
With retainer for removable article
C165S080200, C165S185000, C034S071000, C118S724000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250374
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the production of information recording disks and, more particularly, to the cooling of the substrates used to fabricate information recording disks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Information recording disks such as magnetic recording disks used, for example, in “hard disks,” compact disks, etc. have a structure where a recording layer is formed on the surface of a substrate which is made of a metal or dielectric material. In making a magnetic disk used in a hard disk, a substrate of aluminum (Al), or other suitable metal or dielectric material is first coated with a nickel-phosphorus (NiP) layer. Next, an undercoat metal film of suitable material is deposited on a surface of the substrate and then a recording layer made from a thin magnetic film of suitable material is deposited on the metal film layer. The recording disk is completed by depositing a protective layer over the recording layer.
The protective layer must be composed of a durable film which has lubricating properties in order to shield the recording layer from impact and harsh environments. For example, sputtered carbon films (carbon films which have been deposited by sputtering) are commonly used as protective layers.
In a conventional fabrication process, the recording layer is deposited onto the substrate surface at relatively high temperatures (for example, about 200° C.-250° C.) to ensure that the recording layer has a high coercive force. It is important that the recording layer have good magnetic properties to provide reliable transfer of data to and from the magnetic recording layer. On the other hand, the protective layer is deposited at lower temperatures of, for example, about 100° C.-150° C. Thus, before the protective layer can be deposited, the recording disk must be cooled to a suitable temperature for deposition.
Conventionally, such cooling has been accomplished by natural heat loss, or radiation, from the recording disk. Natural heat loss, however, can be a time-consuming process as temperatures do not readily decrease in the vacuum environment commonly employed in the fabrication of information recording disks. Consequently, manufacturing “throughput” and, potentially, recording disk quality may be adversely affected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforementioned and related drawbacks associated with conventional information recording disk fabrication are eliminated or substantially reduced by the apparatus and associated method for treating substrates according to the present invention. The present invention calls for the cooling of a substrate used in the fabrication of an information recording disk with a gas by means of a cooling apparatus, including a cooling block, having a non-planar surface facing the substrate to be cooled. The non-planar surface of the cooling block is established by closely packing grooves which may have a V-shaped cross-section, a conical cross section, or a pyramidal cross-section. Preferably the grooves further include protrusions formed thereon. The protrusions of the present invention may be formed on the surface of the grooves through a blasting or other suitable process. By providing a cooling block with a non-planar structure, the effective surface area of the cooling block is at least doubled which, in turn, enhances the substrate cooling process.
A gas, such as hydrogen or helium is delivered by a gas delivery means into the space between the non-planar surface of the cooling block and the substrate to promote substrate cooling. A cooling fluid supply system is also present within the cooling apparatus which is operative to provide a cooling fluid such as, for example, water, to flow through the cooling block to maintain the cooling block at a suitable temperature thereby promoting substrate cooling.
The cooling apparatus of the present invention is designed for use in a larger substrate processing apparatus having a first film deposition process chamber in which a first film deposition process is carried out at a first process temperature and a second film deposition process chamber in which a second film deposition process is carried at a second process temperature. According, to the present invention, the second process temperature is lower than the first process temperature. The cooling apparatus is established between the first and second film deposition process chambers to rapidly cool the recording disk substrate before it enters the second process chamber where it is subjected to the second process.
An advantage of the present invention is that it provides the ability to rapidly and efficiently cool a substrate to a suitable temperature without negatively affecting the information recording disk properties.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides the ability to maintain or enhance the coercive force properties of the magnetic film on an information recording disk.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it provides increased disk fabrication throughput.
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Fujino Naoto
Watanabe Naoki
Anelva Corporation
Leo Leonard
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