High K/sub u/, uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy, materials are generally attractive for ultrahigh density magnetic recording applications as they allow smaller, thermally stable media grains. Prominent candidates are rare-earth transition metals (Co/sub 5/Sm,...), and tetragonal intermetallic compounds (L1/sub 0/ phases FePt, CoPtY,...), which have 20-40 times higher K/sub u/ than today's hexagonal Co-alloy based media. This allows for about 3 times smaller grain diameters, D, and a potential 10-fold areal density increase (/spl prop/1/D/sup 2/), well beyond the currently projected 40-100 Gbits/in/sup 2/ mark, Realization of such densities will depend on a large number of factors, not all related to solving media microstructure problems, In particular it is at present not known how to record into such media, which may require write fields in the order of 10-100 kOe. Despite this unsolved problem, there is considerable interest in high Ku alternative media, both for longitudinal and perpendicular recording. Activities in this area will be reviewed and data on sputtered and evaporated thin FePt films, with coercivities exceeding 10000 Oe will be presented.

High K/sub u/ materials approach to 100 Gbits/in/sup 2/

In current longitudinal magnetic recording media, high areal density and low noise are achieved by statistical averaging over several hundred weakly coupled ferromagnetic grains per bit cell. Continued scaling to smaller bit and grain sizes, however, may prompt spontaneous magnetization reversal processes when the stored energy per particle starts competing with thermal energy, thereby limiting the achievable areal density. Charap et al. have predicted this to occur at about 40 Gbits/in/sup 2/. This paper discusses thermal effects in the framework of basic Arrhenius-Neel statistical switching models. It is emphasized that magnetization decay is intimately related to high-speed-switching phenomena. Thickness-, temperature- and bit-density dependent recording experiments reveal the onset of thermal decay at "stability ratios" (K/sub u/V/K/sub B/T)/sub 0//spl sime/35 /spl plusmn/ 2. The stability requirement is grain size dispersion dependent and shifts to about 60 for projected 40 Gbits/in/sup 2/ conditions and ten-year storage times. Higher anisotropy and coercivity media with reduced grain sizes are logical extensions of the current technology until write field limitations are reached. Future advancements will rely on deviations from traditional scaling. Squarer bits may reduce destabilizing stray fields inside the bit transitions. Perpendicular recording may shift the onset of thermal effects to higher bit densities. Enhanced signal processing may allow signal retrieval with fewer grains per bit. Finally, single grain per bit recording may be envisioned in patterned media, with lithographically defined bits.

Thermal effect limits in ultrahigh-density magnetic recording

A comprehensive review is presented of the extractive metallurgy of rare earths. The topics covered are: world rare earth resources and production; ore processing and separation of individual rare earths; reduction, refining, and ultrapurification of rare earth elements; methods for rare earth materials analysis; and a selection of the numerous rare earth applications. World rare earth reserves are abundant and would last for well beyond the next century. However, all of the 16 naturally occurring rare earth elements are not equally distributed in the ore minerals. This, compounded with the problems specific to the isolation and recovery of each of the rare earths, sets the stage for an unequal rare earth availability. The close chemical similarity of rare earths looses its importance when divergent physical properties determine the processes for rare earth element reduction and refining. The rare earth metals, alloys, and compounds have been as pure as could be determined. Finally, the commercial...

Extractive Metallurgy of Rare Earths

After the development of Nd–Fe–B magnets, rare-earth magnets are now essential components in many fields of technology, because of their ability to provide a strong magnetic flux. There are two, well-established techniques for the manufacture of rare earth magnets: powder metallurgy is used to obtain high-performance, anisotropic, fully dense magnet bodies; and the melt-spinning or HDDR (hydrogenation, disproportionation, desorption and recombination) process is widely used to produce magnet powders for bonded magnets. In the industry of sintered Nd–Fe–B magnets, the total amount of production has increased and their dominant application has been changed to motors. In particular, their use for motors in hybrid cars is one of the most attractive applications. Bonded magnets have also been used for small motors, and the studies of nanocomposite and Sm–Fe–N magnets have become widespread. This paper reviews the current status and future trend in the research of permanent magnets.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/44/6/064001/pdf

Current status and recent topics of rare-earth permanent magnets

Hard/soft magnetic heterostructures: model exchange-spring magnets

Rare earth-cobalt permanent magnets

This paper reviews the historical background and the development of rare earth-cobalt-based permanent magnets from basic science studies on rare earth-transition metal alloys in the 1960's to today's broad spectrum of commercial magnet types and their applications. It puts the RE-Co magnets in perspective relative to older magnet types and also traces the path to the subsequent development of the related Nd-Fe-B magnets. The treatment is qualitative, with emphasis on the relationship between fundamental properties of the compounds and the interaction between microstructure and magnetic domain walls that makes high coercivity and the exceptional hard magnetic properties of the rare-earth magnets possible. The various kinds of RE-Co magnets in production and use today, some of their engineering properties, and economic aspects governing their applicability, cost and availability are also discussed. Many references provide a guide to the special literature regarding the physics, metallurgy, manufacture, product selection and properties of rare earth-cobalt magnets.

Rare Earth‐Cobalt Permanent Magnets

Effect of geometry on magnetization distortion in closed-circuit magnetic measurements

: The current state-of-the-art of high energy permanent magnets (HEPM, with (BH max) > or = 10MGOe) was surveyed to inform design engineers about presently available magnetic material types Users of HEPM's were asked to provide information about their current and future requirements on the properties of permanent magnets for their devices The responses were divided into six application categories, and are presented in the form of 'specifications' An up-to-date list of HEPM manufacturers, their addresses, and a summary of the materials they make is included, and cross-referenced A functioning prototype fixture was built to perform demagnetization curve testing at temperature between -197 and +300C Design considerations are discussed Example demagnetization curve sets as functions of temperature were measured and are presented

Reinhold M. Strnat

Papers

Rare earth-cobalt permanent magnets

Rare Earth‐Cobalt Permanent Magnets

Effect of geometry on magnetization distortion in closed-circuit magnetic measurements

A Survey of the Current State-of-the-Art in High-Energy-Product Permanent Magnets