Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record copying
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-12
2003-06-10
Hudspeth, David (Department: 2651)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record copying
C360S017000, C360S327300, C360S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06577459
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for recording a large amount of information on a magnetic recording medium at one time, and in particular, to a method for transferring a recording information to a magnetic recording medium of large capacity and high recording density.
With rapid development and progress in the utilization of digital image, amount of information to be handled in personal computers and other devices has extensively increased. Because of the increase of the amount of information, there are now strong demands on a magnetic recording medium, which has larger capacity to record the information and can be manufactured at low cost and requires shorter time for writing and reading operations.
In a high density recording medium such as hard disk or in a high density floppy disk type magnetic recording medium represented by ZIP (Iomega Inc.), information recording area has narrower track compared with the floppy disk now commonly used. In order that magnetic head can scan over narrow track width and signals can be recorded or reproduced with high S/N ratio, it is necessary to perform accurate scanning by the tracking servo technique.
In a large capacity magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk or a removable type magnetic recording medium, servo signal for tracking or address information signal, reproduction clock signal, etc. are recorded with a certain spacing between them within one turn of the disk. This is the so-called pre-format.
By reading this pre-formatted signal and by correcting its own position, the magnetic head can run accurately on the track.
In the mode of pre-formatting currently in practice, disks are recorded one by one and track by track using a special-purpose servo recorder. However, there are problems in that the servo recorder are expensive and long time is required for the preparation of the pre-format and this means longer time for manufacture and higher manufacturing cost.
In this respect, a method has been proposed to perform magnetic transfer without carrying out pre-format for each track. For example, a transfer technique is described in Japanese Patent Publications Laid-Open 63-183623, 10-40544, and 10-269566. However, none of these inventions provides a proposal suitable for practical applications. There has been no disclosure on concrete means or conditions such as the condition of magnetic field to be applied at the magnetic transfer in the method for magnetic transfer or the means for generating the magnetic field.
To solve the problems as described above, the following method has been proposed in Japanese Patent Publications Laid-Open 63-183623 and 10-40544: On the surface of the substrate, surface irregularities (i.e. recesses and projections; concave portions and convex portions) corresponding to information signals are formed. The surface of the master carrier for magnetic transfer where ferromagnetic thin film is formed at least on the projections is brought into contact with the surface of sheet-type or disk-type magnetic recording medium where ferromagnetic thin film or ferromagnetic powder coating layer is formed. Or, AC bias magnetic field or DC magnetic field is applied to excite ferromagnetic material which constitutes the surface of the projections. As a result, magnetized pattern to match the surface irregularities is recorded on the magnetic recording medium.
According to this method, the surface of the projected portions of the master carrier for magnetic transfer is brought closely together to the magnetic recording medium to be pre-formatted, i.e. the slave medium, and the ferromagnetic material which constitutes the projected portions is excited. As a result, the desired format is formed on the slave medium. By this method, recording can be carried out statically without changing relative positions of the master carrier for magnetic transfer and the slave medium, and accurate pre-format recording can be performed. Also, the time required for the recording is very short. Specifically, in the method for recording from the magnetic head as described above, the time of several minutes to several tens of minutes is normally required, while magnetic transfer can be completed within one second regardless of the recording capacity or recording density in this magnetic transfer method.
Now, description will be given on the transfer of pattern for pre-format in the master carrier for magnetic transfer referring to FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
(A) is a schematical plan view to explain magnetic layer surface of the master carrier for magnetic transfer, and
FIG. 1
(B) is a cross-sectional view to explain the process of transfer.
On a certain area of the track of the master carrier
1
for magnetic transfer, a pre-format region
2
and a data region
3
where patterns of servo signals and address signal for tracking to be transferred are formed. By bringing the master carrier
1
for magnetic transfer and the slave medium
4
closely together and by applying an external magnetic field
6
for transfer in track direction
5
, the pre-format information can be transferred to the slave medium as a recording information
7
. Thus, the slave medium can be manufactured with high efficiency.
However, it has been made clear that, when magnetic transfer is performed according to this method, the quality of information signal may be deteriorated, and that servo action may be inaccurate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for stable magnetic transfer by bringing a master carrier for magnetic transfer and a slave medium closely together and by transferring a pre-format pattern through application of an external magnetic field in order to prevent inaccurate servo operation of the slave medium.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for magnetic transfer and an apparatus for magnetic transfer for performing a series of processes including initial DC magnetization of the slave medium and the transfer of the recording information.
The object of the present invention can be attained by a method for magnetic transfer for applying magnetic field for transfer by combining a master carrier for magnetic transfer closely together with a slave medium, said master carrier having a magnetic layer formed on a portion corresponding to an information signal on surface of a substrate, and said slave medium receiving magnetic transfer, said method comprises a step of performing initial DC magnetization prior to the magnetic transfer under the condition that said master carrier for magnetic transfer is closely combined together with said slave medium.
The present invention also provides a method for magnetic transfer for applying magnetic field for transfer by combining a master carrier for magnetic transfer closely together with a slave medium, said master carrier having a magnetic layer formed on a portion corresponding to an information signal on surface of a substrate, and said slave medium receiving magnetic transfer, said method comprising the steps of applying magnetic field in track direction on the surface of the slave medium under the condition that said master carrier for magnetic transfer is closely combined together with said slave medium, and after performing initial DC magnetization in track direction on the slave medium in advance, of applying a magnetic field for transfer in track direction on the surface of the slave medium, and of performing magnetic transfer.
The present invention also provides the method for magnetic transfer as described above, wherein said method comprises the steps of generating a magnetic field, on a part in track direction, with magnetic field intensity distribution having a portion with magnetic field intensity by more than 1.5 times higher than coercive force Hcm of the slave medium at least at one point on a position in track direction, and of applying magnetic field for performing initial DC magnetization in track direction on the slave medium by rotating a combination unit comprising the
Komatsu Kazunori
Nagao Makoto
Nishikawa Masakazu
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Hudspeth David
Kapadia Varsha A.
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