High linear density in perpendicular recording

In the never-ending quest for higher areal recording density, perpendicular recording is viewed as the most likely candidate to supplant longitudinal recording. However, currently perpendicular recording is lagging longitudinal recording in terms of areal density by almost a factor of two. It is generally believed that the lack of optimized perpendicular head and media is hindering the progress of perpendicular recording in spite of its theoretical advantages. Recently, so-called oxide perpendicular media have become available. In such media, the perpendicularly oriented magnetic grains are physically isolated, e.g., in a SiO/sub 2/ phase, thus ensuring magnetic decoupling between the grains. This paper compares the recording performance of conventional and oxide perpendicular media, showing that the latter hold the promise of bridging the gap to longitudinal recording.