JP2009266266A - Method for forming magnetic layer, film deposition device, and magnetic recording and playback device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for forming a magnetic layer capable of forming the magnetic layer having stable magnetic characteristics and magnetic recording and playback characteristics by heightening uniformity of oxygen radical concentration distribution in a sputtering chamber and making oxygen concentration taken in a magnetic film uniform in the surface direction when the magnetic layer having a granular structure is formed on both surfaces of a substrate by using reactive sputter. <P>SOLUTION: A substrate 200 on which a film is to be deposited is disposed in a reaction vessel 101 so that the surface direction thereof is in the vertical direction. A pair of electrode units having sputtering electrodes and a target disposed on the surfaces of the sputtering electrodes are disposed so that the target faces to the substrate 200 side to face to both surfaces of the substrate 200. A mixture gas including an argon gas and an oxygen gas is supplied to parts near to the surfaces on the substrate 200 side of the pair of electrode units so as to flow toward a center part from a peripheral part and an exhaust gas is exhausted from both end parts of the reaction vessel 101 to form the magnetic layer by reactive sputtering. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for forming a magnetic layer by reactive sputtering, and more particularly to a method for forming a magnetic layer of a perpendicular magnetic recording medium used in a hard disk drive or the like, a film forming apparatus, and a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus.

In recent years, the range of application of magnetic recording devices such as magnetic disk devices, flexible disk devices, and magnetic tape devices has been remarkably increased, and the importance has increased, and the recording density of magnetic recording media used in these devices has increased. Significant improvements are being made. Particularly in HDD (hard disk drive), since the introduction of MR head and PRML technology, the increase in surface recording density has become more intense, and in recent years, GMR heads, TuMR heads, etc. have also been introduced and the pace is about 100% per year. Continues to increase.
On the other hand, as a magnetic recording system for HDDs, the so-called perpendicular magnetic recording system has been rapidly used in recent years as a technique that replaces the conventional in-plane magnetic recording system (recording system whose magnetization direction is parallel to the substrate surface). In the perpendicular magnetic recording system, crystal grains in a recording layer for recording information have an easy axis of magnetization in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. This easy magnetization axis means a direction in which the magnetization is easily oriented, and in the case of a commonly used Co alloy, it is an axis (c axis) parallel to the normal line of the (0001) plane of the Co hcp structure. . In the perpendicular magnetic recording method, since the easy axis of magnetization of the magnetic crystal grains is perpendicular, the influence of the demagnetizing field between the recording bits is small even when the high recording density is advanced. It is characterized by stability.

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium is generally formed on a nonmagnetic substrate in the order of an underlayer, an intermediate layer (orientation control layer), a magnetic recording layer, and a protective layer. In many cases, a lubricating layer is applied to the surface after forming a protective layer. In many cases, a magnetic film called a soft magnetic backing layer is provided under the underlayer. The underlayer and the intermediate layer are formed for the purpose of improving the characteristics of the magnetic recording layer. Specifically, it functions to adjust the crystal orientation of the magnetic recording layer and simultaneously control the shape of the magnetic crystal.
In order to increase the recording density of the perpendicular magnetic recording medium, it is necessary to reduce noise while maintaining thermal stability. Two methods are generally used as a method for reducing noise. The first is a method for reducing the magnetic interaction between magnetic crystal grains by magnetically separating and isolating the magnetic crystal grains in the recording layer, and the second is a method for reducing the size of the magnetic crystal grains. It is. Specifically, for example, there is a method of forming a perpendicular magnetic recording layer having a so-called granular structure in which SiO ₂ or the like is added to the recording layer and the magnetic crystal grains are surrounded by a grain boundary region containing a large amount of SiO ₂ or the like. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

As a method for forming a perpendicular magnetic recording layer having a granular structure, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that a granular structure is formed by DC magnetron sputtering in an argon-oxygen mixed gas atmosphere using a composite target containing a CoCrPt alloy and SiO _2. A method of forming a recording layer having the following is disclosed. In this document, it is reported that by performing reactive sputtering in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, the coercive force is increased and the recording / reproducing characteristics are improved. Also, determine the optimum oxygen partial pressure by the concentration of SiO _2, the optimum oxygen partial pressure as SiO ₂ concentration is lower becomes higher, the magnetic characteristics and recording and reproducing characteristics when the oxygen concentration becomes excessive state exceeding the optimum value It has been reported that it deteriorates significantly.

Further, Patent Document 2 discloses that when a sputtering gas and a reactive gas are introduced into a vacuum chamber and a film is formed by reactive sputtering, the concentration of the reactive gas flowing along the surface of the target is made uniform. And a sputtering apparatus capable of increasing the uniformity of the reaction between the target and the film and making the film thickness, film quality and film characteristics uniform. This apparatus is a sputtering apparatus in which a cathode having at least one target is opposed to a substrate and a target is sputtered based on reactive sputtering to deposit a film on the substrate. A central gas introduction mechanism is provided that allows gas to flow outward from the central portion of the cathode unit along the surface of the target.
JP 2002-342908 A JP 2004-346406 A IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol.40, No.4, July 2004, pp. 2498-2500

By the way, when reactive sputtering is performed in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, there is a phenomenon in which the oxygen concentration taken into the magnetic film varies depending on the position on the disk due to the nonuniformity of the oxygen radical concentration distribution in the sputtering chamber. This makes it very difficult to obtain uniform magnetic characteristics and recording / reproducing characteristics over the entire disk surface.
From such a viewpoint, as a result of a detailed study of the methods described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the present inventor found that the method described in Patent Document 1 has a plasma space formed near the target surface. However, it became clear that the concentration of oxygen radicals existing in the plasma space became unstable and the granular magnetic layer to be formed became non-uniform.

  On the other hand, in the method described in Patent Document 2, a method is proposed in which a reactive gas is allowed to flow outward from the central portion of the cathode unit along the surface of the target. However, the plasma space formed near the surface of the substrate by the gas flow is made to flow downstream and becomes unstable. In this method, gas flows between the substrate and the plasma, and a non-plasma space is formed at that location. According to the study by the present inventors, this non-plasma space kills oxygen radicals flying from the plasma space to the substrate surface, reduces the deposition rate by reactive sputtering, and causes nonuniformity of the magnetic film deposited on the substrate surface. It has been elucidated that this causes a non-uniform film thickness distribution.

  By the way, in this type of film forming apparatus, the work of taking in and out the substrate with respect to the plasma generation space of the reaction vessel is an indispensable work. However, the robot hand, arm, carrier, etc. for taking the substrate in and out of the plasma generation space are complicated. The substrate transport apparatus has a problem that obstructs smooth decompression work during decompression. For example, in order to form a film on a small substrate, if the reaction vessel is thin and the plasma generation space is also thin, the main decompression device is connected to one side of the thin reaction vessel and the substrate is transported near the plasma generation space. When the apparatus is arranged, the space on the side of the plasma container provided with the substrate transfer device becomes a resistance at the time of depressurization when depressurizing to a vacuum or the like, and there is a problem that the exhaust speed is lowered and it takes time to make a vacuum. It was.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. When a magnetic layer having a granular structure is formed on both surfaces of a substrate by using reactive sputtering, the uniformity of the oxygen radical concentration distribution in the sputtering chamber is improved. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of forming a magnetic layer that can form a magnetic layer in which the oxygen concentration taken into the layer is uniform in the plane direction and the magnetic characteristics and recording / reproducing characteristics are stable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus having the above-described excellent magnetic layer.
In addition, the present invention enables a smooth depressurization operation when depressurizing the inside of the reaction vessel, and improves the uniformity of oxygen radical concentration distribution in the sputtering chamber when performing reactive sputtering, An object of the present invention is to provide a film forming apparatus capable of forming a film having a uniform characteristic in the surface direction and having a stable characteristic.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.
(1) A method for forming a magnetic layer according to the present invention is a method for forming a magnetic layer, which includes at least Co, Cr, and Pt on both surfaces of a substrate and has a granular structure formed by reactive sputtering. In the reaction vessel, the substrate is disposed so that the surface direction is vertical, and a pair of electrode units each having a target disposed on the surface of the sputter electrode and the sputter electrode are provided with the target. Arranged on the substrate side so as to face both surfaces of the substrate, a mixed gas containing argon and oxygen is disposed near the surface on the substrate side of the pair of electrode units from the outer peripheral portion toward the central portion. The magnetic layer is supplied by reactive sputtering while exhaust gas generated after the reaction is exhausted from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the reaction vessel. Characterized in that it formed.

(2) In the present invention, the mixed gas contains H ₂ O, and the formation method according to (1).
(3) In the present invention, the magnetic layer is a perpendicular magnetic layer having magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. (1) Formation of a magnetic layer according to (2) Is the method.
(4) In the present invention, the magnetic layer includes a Si oxide, a Ti oxide, a W oxide, a Cr oxide, a Co oxide, a Ta oxide, and a Ru oxide as a grain boundary constituent material that forms a granular structure. Any one of these is included, The method for forming a magnetic layer according to any one of (1) to (3).

(5) In the present invention, in the method for forming a magnetic layer according to any one of (1) to (4), the total film thickness of the magnetic layer is in the range of 1 nm to 15 nm.
(6) In the magnetic layer according to any one of (1) to (5), the magnetic layer to be formed includes an oxide in a range of 3 mol% to 15 mol%. It is a forming method.
(7) In the present invention, the substrate is a disk-shaped substrate used in a magnetic recording medium, and the magnetic layer having a granular structure is a magnetic recording layer of a magnetic recording medium. The method for forming a magnetic layer according to any one of 6). (8) In the present invention, a gas inflow pipe having an annular shape and a plurality of gas discharge ports provided on the inner peripheral wall thereof along the circumference is arranged on the substrate side of the pair of electrode units, and the mixed gas Is introduced into the gas inflow pipe and discharged from each gas discharge port, so that the mixed gas flows from the outer peripheral portion toward the central portion in the vicinity of the surface on the substrate side of the pair of electrode units. The method for forming a magnetic layer according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein

(9) In the method of forming a magnetic layer according to any one of (1) to (8), the exhaust unit that exhausts the exhaust gas includes a turbo molecular pump.
(10) In the method of forming a magnetic layer according to any one of (1) to (8), the exhaust unit that exhausts the exhaust gas includes a cryopump.
(11) In the present invention, the exhaust gas includes a first exhaust unit that exhausts the exhaust gas from one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the reaction vessel, and a second exhaust unit that exhausts the exhaust gas from the other end portion. The method of forming a magnetic layer according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the means uses an apparatus including two vacuum pumps.
(12) In the present invention, a plurality of the pair of electrode units are used, and a magnetic layer is formed in parallel on both surfaces of the plurality of substrates, according to any one of (1) to (11) This is a method for forming a magnetic layer.

(13) The magnetic recording medium of the present invention is characterized by including a magnetic film obtained by any one of the methods (1) to (12).
(14) The present invention is a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus comprising a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic head for recording / reproducing information on the magnetic recording medium, wherein the magnetic recording medium is the magnetic recording medium according to (13). It is characterized by being.

(15) In the film forming apparatus of the present invention, a reaction space is provided in the reaction vessel, a plurality of exhaust means communicating with the reaction space are connected above the reaction vessel, and the cathode and the target are opposed to the reaction vessel. At least a pair of arranged electrode units are installed in a state of being opposed to each other, and a substrate transfer device is provided on the lower side of the electrode unit so that a substrate can be inserted and removed between the paired electrode units. The other exhaust means is connected to the lower side of the substrate transfer apparatus, and an annular portion is provided in the vicinity of each of the opposing targets, and a discharge port is provided on the inner peripheral side of the annular portion. A gas inflow pipe for supplying gas is provided.
(16) In the film forming apparatus of the present invention, the annular portion of the gas inflow tube according to (15) is disposed so as to surround a plasma generation space between the target and the substrate, and the plasma generation space The reaction gas can be freely supplied from the peripheral side toward the center side.
(17) In the film forming apparatus of the present invention, the gas inflow tube according to (15) or (16) is capable of supplying a mixed gas containing argon gas and oxygen gas, and between the substrate and the target. A plasma containing oxygen radicals, oxygen ions, or oxygen atoms is generated in the plasma space.

According to the present invention, when forming a magnetic layer on both surfaces of a substrate by reactive sputtering, a mixed gas containing argon and oxygen flows from the outer peripheral portion toward the central portion in the vicinity of the surfaces of the pair of electrode units. Therefore, the flow of the mixed gas is canceled out by the flow of the mixed gas in the opposite direction. For this reason, it is suppressed that the plasma formed near the target is disturbed by the flow of the mixed gas, and the plasma space formed near the target is stabilized.
Further, since the gas after the reaction is exhausted from both ends of the reaction vessel, the plasma is less likely to flow in a specific direction due to the flow of the exhausted gas. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress a gas from flowing between the deposition target substrate and the plasma and forming a non-plasma space at the location.
For these reasons, in the present invention, the deposition rate by reactive sputtering is increased, and the uniformity of the magnetic layer deposited on the substrate surface is increased.
As a result, it is possible to form a magnetic layer having uniform magnetic characteristics in the plane direction, and thus it is possible to provide a magnetic layer with stable recording / reproducing characteristics.

The film forming apparatus of the present invention can depressurize the internal space of the reaction vessel with a plurality of exhaust devices from the upper side of the reaction vessel and can also reduce the pressure with another exhaust device from the lower side of the reaction vessel. The inside of the reaction vessel can be smoothly decompressed without being affected by the presence of the substrate transfer apparatus provided on the substrate.
In addition, when forming the magnetic layer by reactive sputtering, a mixed gas containing argon and oxygen is supplied to flow near the surface of the pair of electrode units from the outer peripheral portion toward the central portion. The flow is canceled by the flow of the mixed gas in the opposite direction. For this reason, it can suppress disturbing the plasma formed near the target by the flow of the mixed gas, and stable plasma can be generated near the target.
In particular, when oxygen radicals are used in reactive sputtering, the ability to stably generate a plasma space can ensure that oxygen radicals reach the substrate side, which is advantageous when forming a film having the desired characteristics.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
First, an example of a perpendicular magnetic recording medium on which a magnetic layer is formed using the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a perpendicular magnetic recording medium on which a magnetic layer is formed using the present invention.
A perpendicular magnetic recording medium 10 of the form shown in FIG. 1 has at least a soft magnetic backing layer 2 on each side of a nonmagnetic substrate 1, an orientation control layer 3 and an underlayer 4 for controlling the orientation of the film immediately above, and a magnetic layer. The recording layer (magnetic layer) 5, the protective layer 6, and the lubricating layer 7 are sequentially laminated. The magnetic recording layer 5 is a perpendicular magnetic recording layer having a granular structure containing at least Co, Cr, and Pt.

Examples of the nonmagnetic substrate 1 used in the perpendicular magnetic recording medium 10 include an Al alloy substrate such as an Al—Mg alloy containing Al as a main component, ordinary soda glass, aluminosilicate glass, amorphous glass, silicon, and the like. Any nonmagnetic substrate such as a substrate made of titanium, ceramics, sapphire, quartz, or various resins can be used. Of these, glass substrates such as Al alloy substrates, crystallized glass, and amorphous glass are often used. In the case of a glass substrate, a substrate subjected to mirror polishing, a low Ra substrate having a surface roughness (Ra) <1 (Å), or the like is preferable. Further, the non-magnetic substrate 1 may contain a teclack if it is light.
In the manufacturing process of the magnetic disk, the nonmagnetic substrate 1 is usually first cleaned and dried. In the present invention, the nonmagnetic substrate 1 includes its nonmagnetic substrate 1 from the viewpoint of ensuring adhesion with each layer. It is desirable that washing and drying are performed before forming each layer. Cleaning includes not only water cleaning but also cleaning by etching (reverse sputtering).
Moreover, the size of the nonmagnetic substrate 1 is not particularly limited, and is appropriately determined according to the application.

The soft magnetic backing layer 2 is provided in many generally known perpendicular magnetic recording media. The soft magnetic backing layer 2 serves to guide a recording magnetic field from the head and efficiently apply a perpendicular component of the recording magnetic field to the magnetic recording layer 5 when recording a signal on the medium.
As a material of the soft magnetic backing layer 2, any material having so-called soft magnetic properties such as an FeCo alloy, a CoZrNb alloy, and a CoTaZr alloy can be used. It is particularly preferable that the soft magnetic backing layer 2 has an amorphous structure. This is because the amorphous structure prevents the surface roughness (Ra) from increasing, reduces the flying height of the head, and further increases the recording density.
The soft magnetic underlayer 2 may have a single layer configuration of such a soft magnetic layer, but an extremely thin nonmagnetic thin film such as Ru is sandwiched between the two soft magnetic layers, and the soft magnetic interlayer It is preferable that the structure has antiferromagnetic coupling.
The total thickness of the soft magnetic backing layer 2 is usually about 20 (nm) to 120 (nm), but is appropriately determined depending on the balance between the recording / reproducing characteristics and the writing characteristics.

In the present invention, it is preferable to provide an orientation control layer 3 for controlling the orientation of the magnetic recording layer 5 on the soft magnetic backing layer 2. As a material for the orientation control layer 3, Ni alloys such as Ni, Ni—Nb, Ni—Ta, Ni—V, and Ni—W that are oriented with Ta or fcc (111) crystal plane are preferable.
Further, even when the soft magnetic backing layer 2 has an amorphous structure, the surface roughness Ra may increase depending on the material and film forming conditions, and therefore, the nonmagnetic layer between the soft magnetic backing layer 2 and the orientation control layer 3 is non-magnetic. It is preferable to form an amorphous layer. Thereby, the surface roughness Ra of the surface on which the magnetic recording layer 5 is formed can be reduced, and the orientation of the magnetic recording layer 5 can be improved.

On the soft magnetic backing layer 2 or the orientation control layer 3, an underlayer 4 is provided.
As the material of the underlayer 4, Ru, Re, or an alloy thereof having an hcp structure like the magnetic recording layer 5 is preferable. The function of the intermediate layer (orientation control layer 3) is to control the orientation of the magnetic recording layer 5, so that any material that can control the orientation of the magnetic recording layer 5 without taking the hcp structure can be used. Can be used.
The total thickness of the underlayer 4 is preferably 5 (nm) or more and 20 (nm) or less from the balance between the recording / reproducing characteristics and the writing characteristics.

The perpendicular magnetic recording medium 10 of this embodiment has a perpendicular magnetic recording layer 5 having a granular structure containing at least Co, Cr, and Pt.
As the ferromagnetic material in the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 5, it is preferable to use a material in which Co, Cr, and Pt are essential components and an oxide for forming a granular structure is added thereto. The oxide preferably contains at least one of Si oxide, Ti oxide, W oxide, Cr oxide, Co oxide, Ta oxide, and Ru oxide. Examples of ferromagnetic materials to which these oxides are added include CoCrPt—Si oxide, CoCrPt—Ti oxide, CoCrPt—W oxide, CoCrPt—Cr oxide, CoCrPt—Co oxide, CoCrPt—Ta oxide, Examples thereof include CoCrPt—Ru oxide, CoRuPt—Si oxide, and CoCrPtRu—Si oxide. Two or more of these oxides can be added to the magnetic recording layer 5.

The average grain size of the magnetic crystal grains forming the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 5 having a granular structure containing at least Co, Cr, and Pt is preferably 1 nm or more and 12 nm or less. The average grain boundary width is preferably 0.3 nm or more and 2.0 nm or less. The average crystal grain size and the average grain boundary width can be calculated using a planar TEM observation image.
The total amount of oxides present in the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 5 having a granular structure containing at least Co, Cr and Pt is preferably 3 to 15 mol%. When the total amount of oxide added is within this range, a good granular structure can be formed using the method for forming a magnetic layer of the present invention.

The protective layer 6 is for protecting the medium from damage due to contact between the head and the medium, and a carbon film, a SiO ₂ film, or the like is used. In many cases, a carbon film is used. A sputtering method, a plasma CVD method, or the like is used to form these films. In recent years, a plasma CVD method is often used. A magnetron plasma CVD method can also be used.
The thickness of the protective layer 6 is about 1 nm to 10 nm, preferably about 2 nm to 6 nm, and more preferably 2 nm to 4 nm.

Next, a method for forming a magnetic layer according to the present invention will be described by taking as an example the case of forming the magnetic recording layer 5 of the perpendicular magnetic recording medium 10 shown in FIG.
2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a film forming apparatus used in the method for forming a magnetic layer of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the right side in FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view showing an example of a gas inflow pipe provided in the film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 2.
In the present embodiment, the granular magnetic recording layer 5 is formed using reactive sputtering. First, a film forming apparatus for forming the magnetic recording layer 5 by reactive sputtering will be described.
The film forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment is configured so that a magnetic layer (magnetic recording layer) can be simultaneously formed on both surfaces of two deposition target substrates 200. In the present embodiment, in order to form the magnetic recording layer 5 of the perpendicular magnetic recording medium 10 shown in FIG. 1, the soft magnetic backing layer 2, the orientation control layer 3, the lower layer on the nonmagnetic substrate 1 as the film formation substrate 200. The one in which the formation 4 has already been formed is used.

  A film forming apparatus 100 used in this example supplies a vertical and thin reaction vessel (reaction chamber) 101 and a mixed gas of an inert gas (a sputtering gas or a plasma generation gas) and a reactive gas in the reaction vessel 101. Gas supply means 102 (see FIG. 4), first exhaust means 103 and second exhaust means 104 for exhausting the gas in the reaction vessel 101, and two deposition target substrates 200 carried from the outside. And a substrate transfer device 105 for transferring the substrate to a predetermined position.

  The reaction vessel 101 is a vessel that partitions the outside and the reaction space 101a, has airtightness, and has pressure resistance because the inside is in a high vacuum state. In the following description, in this reaction vessel 101, the right side wall in FIG. 2 is the “first side wall 106”, the left side wall is the “second side wall 107”, and the depth side wall in FIG. The “third side wall 108” and the side wall on the front side are referred to as “fourth side wall 109 (see FIG. 3)”. The first side wall 106 and the second side wall 107 have a slightly vertically long rectangular shape close to a square when viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 3, and a flat vertically long space is formed between them as shown in FIG. The first side wall 106 and the second side wall 107 are vertically arranged with a narrower space between them, and the narrow third side wall 108 and the third side wall 109 are connected to the left and right sides of the first side wall 106 and the second side wall 107, respectively. A vertically long and flat space is enclosed as a reaction vessel internal space.

A first window 109 to which a first cathode 113 and a second cathode described later are attached is provided on the upper side of the first sidewall 106 of the reaction vessel 101, and a second window 107 is provided on the second side wall 107. A second window part 110 to which the third cathode and the fourth cathode are attached adjacent to each other on the left and right is provided so as to face the first window part 109. The first window portion 109 and the second window portion 110 have a racetrack shape that is horizontally long as viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 3, and are formed at the same height so as to face each other. The first side wall 106 is provided with a small third window 116 for attaching a substrate carry-in chamber 136 described later below the first window 109.
The first to fourth cathodes have the same configuration, and two units are arranged side by side on the first window 109 side, and two units are attached side by side on the second window unit 110 side. However, in FIG. 2 and FIG.
The first exhaust port 111 and the second exhaust port 112 are connected to the first exhaust unit 103 and the second exhaust unit 104, respectively.

A first cathode 113 and a second cathode to which power is supplied from a power source (not shown) are attached to the first side wall 106 of the reaction vessel 101, and a power source (not shown) is attached to the second side wall 107. A third cathode and a fourth cathode to which power is supplied are attached.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the first cathode 113 and the second cathode are arranged in a horizontally long first window 109 provided on the first side wall 106 in a state of being arranged in the lateral direction. And are hermetically joined through the frame. The third cathode and the fourth cathode are airtightly joined to the second window portion 110 provided on the second side wall 107 through a frame in a state of being arranged in the horizontal direction. Each of the first cathode 113 to the fourth cathode is in a vertically placed state in which the electrode surfaces are substantially orthogonal to the horizontal plane. The first cathode 113 and the third cathode are The surfaces (electrode surfaces) on the reaction space 101a side face each other, and the second cathode and the fourth cathode are in a positional relationship where the surfaces (electrode surfaces) on the reaction space 101a side face each other.

The first target 117 to the fourth target are supported separately from each other on the electrode surfaces of the first cathode 113 to the fourth cathode, respectively. Each of the first target 117 to the fourth target has a plate shape and has a composition corresponding to the composition of the target magnetic layer. Note that the second target and the fourth target have the same configuration as the first target 117 and the third target 118, and illustration thereof is omitted.
In the present embodiment, the first electrode unit U1 configured by the first cathode 113 and the first target 117, the third electrode unit U2 configured by the third cathode and the third target 119, Are paired, and the second electrode unit constituted by the second cathode and the second target is paired with the fourth electrode unit constituted by the fourth cathode and the fourth target. .

Each target may be a single unit or may be composed of a plurality of target pieces. Moreover, the planar shape of each target is not particularly limited. In the case of a single target, for example, it is desirable that the target is a circular shape or an annular shape, and it is desirable that the target be arranged coaxially with each cathode. Further, as a target, a semicircular alloy target strips containing Co, Cr, and Pt, respectively, and semicircular oxide target strips containing SiO ₂ can be used in combination.

Inside the reaction vessel 101, a first gas inflow pipe 121 to a fourth gas inflow pipe 124 having the shape shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, each of the first gas inflow pipe 121 to the fourth gas inflow pipe 124 includes a straight pipe portion 125 extending in one direction and a circle connected to one end of the straight pipe portion 125. A plurality of gas discharge ports 126a are provided on the inner peripheral wall of the annular portion 126 at substantially equal intervals along the circumference. The hole diameter of the gas discharge port 126a provided in the gas inflow pipe 124 is changed according to the position so that the amount of gas released from each hole is constant according to the position of the straight pipe portion 125 connected to the gas inflow pipe 124. It is preferable. That is, it is preferable to reduce the hole diameter on the upstream side of the gas flowing through each pipe and increase the hole diameter on the downstream side.
The first gas inflow pipe 121 to the fourth gas inflow pipe 124 are connected to the gas supply means 102 provided outside the reaction vessel 101 with the other end of each straight pipe portion 125 extending. Yes. Moreover, the annular part 126 of each gas inflow pipe 121-124 is each arrange | positioned on each outer periphery of the 1st target 117-the 4th target. That is, each annular portion 126 of the gas inflow pipe is disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the plasma generation space between each target and each deposition target substrate.

A valve provided in the middle of each pipe is provided between the gas supply means 102 and the gas inflow pipe. Each of these valves is configured to be opened and closed by a control mechanism (not shown).
The mixed gas delivered by the gas supply device is introduced into the first gas inflow pipe 121 to the fourth gas inflow pipe 124 while the flow rate is controlled by the above-described valves. The mixed gas introduced into each gas inflow pipe passes through the straight pipe portion 125 and flows into the annular portion 126, and toward the inner side of the annular portion 126 from the plurality of gas discharge ports 126 a arranged in an annular shape. To be released.

Here, in the apparatus of the present embodiment, a gas containing argon and oxygen is used as the mixed gas.
Argon has the effect of stabilizing the generation of reactive plasma. In addition, oxygen becomes oxygen radicals in the reactive plasma, and an oxide constituting a grain boundary is generated in the granular magnetic layer.
The mixed gas preferably contains H ₂ O. In reactive plasma, H ₂ O decomposes into oxygen radicals and hydrogen radicals, but oxygen radicals form oxides that constitute crystal grain boundaries in the magnetic layer of the granular structure, and hydrogen radicals are magnetic in the granular structure. It has the effect of preventing the oxidation of magnetic particles in the layer. This makes it possible to form a granular magnetic layer having excellent magnetic properties.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a first exhaust means 103 and a second exhaust means 104 are connected to the ceiling and bottom of the reaction vessel 101, respectively.
The first evacuation unit 103 and the second evacuation unit 104 use a vacuum pump to reduce the pressure in the reaction vessel 101 or to form a predetermined gas in the reaction vessel 101 when performing film formation by reactive sputtering. Or exhaust at a flow rate. The first exhaust means 103 and the second exhaust means 104 are connected to the vacuum pumps 127, 128, and 129 and the vacuum pumps, respectively, and gate valves 130, 131, and 132 that are controlled to be opened and closed by a control means (not shown). And a first exhaust pipe 134 that connects the gate valves 130 and 131 and the first exhaust port 111, and a second exhaust pipe 135 that connects the gate valve 132 and the second exhaust port 112.

The exhaust means of the present embodiment has a structure that enables the inside of the reaction vessel 101 to be exhausted at a high speed. In order to exhaust the reaction vessel 101 at a high speed, it is necessary to reduce the volume of the reaction vessel 101 while increasing the exhaust capacity of the vacuum pump. However, when the exhaust capacity of the vacuum pump is increased, the vacuum pump becomes large and the diameter of the flange portion for attaching the vacuum pump to the reaction vessel 101 increases. For this reason, the reaction vessel 101 also needs a large flange, and as a result, the reaction vessel 101 needs to be enlarged.
In this embodiment, the mounting flanges of the first exhaust unit 103 and the second exhaust unit 104 are arranged in parallel with the target surface, and the mounting flanges of the two pumps constituting the first exhaust unit 103 are opposed in parallel. Even though a large number of large vacuum pumps with high exhaust capacity are installed, the volume of the reaction vessel 101 can be reduced. Note that the second exhaust unit 104 of the present embodiment has the same configuration as the first exhaust unit 103, and the number of vacuum pumps of the second exhaust unit 104 is two, so that the exhaust capacity of the reaction vessel 101 can be further enhanced. Is possible.

As the first exhaust means 103 and the second exhaust means 104, a turbo molecular pump or a cryopump is preferably used, and more preferably, a turbo molecular pump is used. The turbo molecular pump has a high exhaust speed and a high degree of vacuum.
The vacuum pumps 127, 128, and 129 used for the second exhaust unit 103 and the second exhaust unit 104 are not particularly limited, but are desirably turbo molecular pumps. Since the turbo molecular pump does not use oil, it has a high cleanliness and a high degree of vacuum. For this reason, the gas in the reaction vessel 101 can be efficiently exhausted by using the turbo molecular pump.

  In addition, the number of vacuum pumps 127, 128, and 129 included in each exhaust unit 103 and 104 may be one or a plurality. By using a plurality of vacuum pumps, the gas in the reaction vessel 101 can be exhausted more efficiently. However, if the number of vacuum pumps 101 is excessively large, the apparatus may be increased in size and the power consumption may be increased. Therefore, it is desirable that the number of vacuum pumps provided in each exhausting unit be two. Further, in the first exhaust unit 103 and the second exhaust unit 104, the number of vacuum pumps may be the same or different.

  In the present embodiment, the first exhaust unit 103 includes two turbo molecular pumps 127 and 128, and the second exhaust unit 104 is configured by one cryopump 129. For this reason, the gas in the reaction vessel 101 can be efficiently exhausted while suppressing an increase in the size of the apparatus and an increase in power consumption. Since this type of cryopump is a condensing type pump, there is little generation of impurities from the pump, and the inside of the reaction vessel can be kept in a clean exhaust environment.

The substrate transfer apparatus 105 transfers the two deposition target substrates 200 carried from the outside between the first target 117 and the third target 119 and between the second target 118 and the fourth target, respectively. It is conveyed so as to be in a vertically placed state with 120.
The substrate transport device 105 includes a substrate carry-in chamber 136, a carrier transport device 137, and a first carrier 138 and a second carrier held by the carrier transport device 137. Note that the second carrier and the second carrier holding section described later have the same configuration as the first carrier 138 and the first carrier holding section described later, and are not illustrated.
One end of the substrate loading chamber 136 is fixed around the third window 116 of the reaction vessel 101, and the inside communicates with the space in the reaction vessel 101. As shown in FIG. 3, the substrate loading chamber 136 is provided with an opening 139 for loading a substrate from the outside and a door (not shown) for opening and closing the opening 139.

The carrier transfer device 137 is disposed across the inside of the substrate carry-in chamber and the inside of the reaction vessel. The carrier transport device 137 operates to move the first carrier holding unit 140 and the second carrier holding unit holding the first carrier 138 and the second carrier, respectively, and each carrier holding unit 140 independently. And a moving operation mechanism 141 for moving.
Each of the first carrier 138 and the second carrier detachably holds a part of the outer peripheral edge of the deposition target substrate 200, and the opening 139 of the substrate carry-in chamber 136 is operated by the movement operation mechanism 141. From the vicinity, below the first reaction space (the space between the first target 117 and the third target 118) and the second reaction space (the space between the second target and the fourth target), respectively. ) Is moved downward.

  The carrier transport device 137 moves the carrier holding unit 140 in a lateral direction in a non-contact state by moving a magnet. When the substrate is loaded, the first carrier 138 and the second carrier are located near the opening of the substrate loading chamber 136. Then, when two deposition target substrates 200 are loaded from the opening 139 of the substrate loading chamber 136 and mounted on the first carrier 138 and the second carrier, each carrier 138 operates the movement operation mechanism 141. Is moved below each reaction space. Thereby, each deposition target substrate 200 mounted on each carrier 138 is between the first target 117 and the third target, and between the second target and the fourth target, respectively. Arranged vertically. In this state, one of the deposition target substrates 200 is such that both main surfaces thereof are opposed to the electrode surfaces of the first cathode 113 and the third cathode and the distances from the electrode surfaces are substantially equal. Become. In addition, the other deposition target substrate 200 has both main surfaces facing the electrode surfaces of the second cathode and the fourth cathode, and the distances from the electrode surfaces are substantially equal.

  In this state, when electric power is supplied to each of the first cathode 113 to the fourth cathode 116, the mixed gas supplied to these reaction spaces is turned into plasma. Then, ions of the inert gas generated in the plasma collide with each target, and the target material (sputtered particles) is ejected from each target. Part of the sputtered particles that are ejected react with the activated reactive gas and adhere to each surface of the deposition substrate 200. Thereby, a magnetic layer having a granular structure is formed on both surfaces of the two deposition target substrates 200 in parallel.

Next, the operation of the film forming apparatus 100 will be described.
When the deposition target substrate 200 is mounted on the first carrier 138 and the second carrier, the substrate transport apparatus 105 moves each carrier 138 to the first target 117 and the third target by the operation of the moving operation mechanism 141. It moves to the space between 118 and the space between the second target and the fourth target.

Next, the first gate valve 130 to the third gate valve 132 are opened, and the operation of each vacuum pump provided in the first exhaust means 103 and the second exhaust means 104 causes the inside of the reaction vessel 101 and the substrate carry-in chamber 136. The inside is depressurized. Here, although no special equipment is arranged in a portion between the space between the targets 117 and 118 supporting the deposition target substrate 200 and the first exhaust unit 103, the deposition target substrate 200 is not provided. Between the space between the targets 117 and 118 that support the second exhaust unit 104 and the second exhaust unit 104, a complicated operation mechanism 141 including a first carrier 138 and a second carrier is provided. Therefore, the second exhaust means 104 acts effectively in order to efficiently depressurize the space around the moving operation mechanism 141. That is, since the second exhaust unit 104 is provided at a position closest to the movement operation mechanism 141 and the surrounding space, the movement operation mechanism 141 and the surrounding space can be efficiently decompressed. Of course, the first exhaust means 103, 103 and the second exhaust means 104 can jointly exhaust the entire internal space of the reaction vessel 101 more quickly than before. If the second exhaust means 104 is not provided, the first exhaust means is provided on the uppermost side of the reaction vessel 101, and a carrier having a complicated structure is present on the lowermost side of the reaction chamber. However, in addition to the first exhaust means 103, the second exhaust means 104 is placed near the carrier portion. This problem can be avoided by providing.
Thereafter, the first gate valve 130 to the third gate valve 132 are controlled to adjust the flow rate of the gas discharged from the first exhaust port 111 and the second exhaust port 112 to a predetermined flow rate.
The mixed gas introduced into the first gas inflow pipe 121 to the fourth gas inflow pipe 124 passes through the annular portion 126 and is discharged from each gas discharge port 216a to the vicinity of the outer periphery of each target (each electrode unit). And flow toward the center of the target.

Next, a voltage is applied to the first cathode 113 to the fourth cathode.
As a result, the mixed gas is turned into plasma in the space corresponding to each cathode, and ions of the inert gas generated in the plasma collide with each target, and target material (sputter particles) is ejected from each target. Part of the sputtered particles reacted with the activated reactive gas, and the other part is deposited on each surface of each deposition target substrate 200 in an unreacted state with the reactive gas.

In the film forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the mixed gas discharged from the gas discharge ports 126a of the gas inflow pipes 121, 122, 123, and 124 is near the surface of the targets 117 and 118 from the outer periphery to the center. Therefore, the flow is canceled out by the flow of the mixed gas discharged from the opposing gas discharge ports 126a. For this reason, it is suppressed that the plasma formed in the space between the targets 117 and 118 and the deposition target substrate 200 is disturbed by the flow of the mixed gas, and the targets 117 and 118 and the deposition target substrate 200 are suppressed. Plasma (space) formed in the space between is stabilized.
Further, since the gas after reaction is smoothly exhausted from above and below the reaction vessel 101 by the first exhaust means 103 and the second exhaust means 104, the plasma space is specified by the flow of the exhausted gas. Less likely to be swept away. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress a gas from flowing between each deposition target substrate 200 and the plasma and forming a non-plasma space at that position. For these reasons, in this film forming apparatus 101, the film forming speed by reactive sputtering is increased, and the uniformity of the magnetic layer deposited on the surface of each film formation substrate is increased. That is, in this film forming apparatus, a highly uniform magnetic layer can be formed at high speed.

Then, when the sputtered particle layer (magnetic recording layer 5) reaches a predetermined thickness on both surfaces of each film formation substrate 23, the film formation is terminated.
As described above, the magnetic recording layers 5 are formed in parallel on both surfaces of the two deposition target substrates 200. Each magnetic recording layer 5 formed in this way is formed by depositing sputtered particles uniformly, thereby having uniform magnetic characteristics in the plane direction and obtaining stable recording / reproducing characteristics. be able to.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus using the above-described perpendicular magnetic recording medium.
A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus shown in FIG. 5 includes a perpendicular magnetic recording medium 10 configured as shown in FIG. 1, a medium driving unit 301 that rotationally drives the magnetic recording medium 10, and a magnetic head 302 that records and reproduces information on the magnetic recording medium 10. And a head driving unit 303 that moves the magnetic head 302 relative to the magnetic recording medium 10 and a recording / reproducing signal processing system 304.
The recording / reproducing signal processing system 304 can process data input from the outside and send the recording signal to the magnetic head 302, and can process the reproducing signal from the magnetic head 302 and send the data to the outside. It is like that.
As the magnetic head 302 used in the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, a magnetic head suitable for a higher recording density having a GMR element utilizing a giant magnetoresistive effect (GMR), a TuMR element utilizing a tunnel effect, or the like is appropriately used. be able to.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to examples. The unit of the film composition is mol%.
(Example)
A 2.5-inch hard disk-shaped glass substrate (MEL3 manufactured by Konica Minolta) was introduced into a vacuum chamber of a C-3040 type sputtering apparatus manufactured by ANELVA.
After evacuating the vacuum degree of the sputtering apparatus to 1 × 10 ⁻⁵ Pa or less, on both sides of the substrate, Cr film is 10 nm as an adhesion layer, 70 Co-20Fe-5Ta-5Zr is 30 nm as a backing layer, and Ru film is 0 nm. A film of .8 nm and 70 Co-20Fe-5Ta-5Zr was formed to a thickness of 30 nm. Next, 90Ni-10W was deposited with a thickness of 5 nm as an orientation control film, and Ru was deposited with a thickness of 15 nm as a base film. At the time of sputtering, Ar gas was used, and the backing layer and Ni-10W were formed at a gas pressure of 0.8 Pa, and the Ru underlayer was formed at a gas pressure of 8 Pa.

Next, the substrate after film formation was introduced into the reactive sputtering apparatus (film formation apparatus) shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and perpendicular magnetic recording layers [composition: 92 (66Co-16Cr-18Pt)- 8 (SiO ₂ ), film thickness: 12 nm].
Here, the target composition is 92 (66Co-16Cr-18Pt) -8 (SiO ₂ ).
The raw material gas introduced into the gas inflow pipe is a mixed gas in which argon is mixed at a flow rate of 200 sccm and oxygen at a flow rate of 10 sccm. This mixed gas is placed inside the gas inflow pipe having an annular portion with an outer diameter of 200 mm. The gas was discharged from 16 gas discharge ports (pores having an inner diameter of 0.5 mm) provided at intervals.

The pressure in the container during reactive sputtering was 1 Pa, the effective exhaust was 800 l / sec on the upper side, and 300 l / sec on the lower side.
In addition, two turbo molecular pumps are provided in the upper part of this reactive sputtering apparatus, and one turbo molecular pump is provided in the lower part. At the time of film formation, the total effective pumping speed is 600 liters / second in the upper part and 350 turbo centimeters in the lower part. The reactive gas was evacuated to liter / second.
Next, the substrate was transferred to a CVD film forming apparatus, and a carbon protective film was formed to 4 nm on the substrate by a CVD method.
A magnetic recording medium was manufactured through the above steps.

The obtained magnetic recording medium was coated with a lubricant and evaluated for recording / reproducing characteristics using a read / write analyzer 1632 and spin stand S1701MP manufactured by Guzik, USA.
The recording / reproduction characteristics include a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR, where S is an output at a linear recording density of 576 kFCI, N is an rms (root mean square) value at a linear recording density of 576 kFCI), and an OW value (a signal at a linear recording density of 576 kFCI). Then, the reproduction output ratio (attenuation rate) of the 576 kFCI signal before and after overwriting the signal with the linear recording density of 77 kFCI was evaluated.
As a result, a magnetic recording medium having an SNR variation within 5% and an OW variation within 3% within the surface of the magnetic recording medium was obtained.

"Comparative Example 1"
In the previous example, the upper two turbo molecular pumps were stopped, and the magnetic recording medium was manufactured under the same conditions as in the previous example. As a result, the SNR variation in the surface of the magnetic recording medium obtained was 9% at the maximum, and the OW value variation was 7% at the maximum.
"Comparative Example 2"
In the previous example, one turbo molecular pump at the bottom was stopped, and the others were manufactured under the same conditions as in the previous example. As a result, the SNR variation in the surface of the magnetic recording medium obtained was 11% at the maximum, and the OW value variation was 9% at the maximum.

“Comparative Example 3”
In the previous example, the source gas was supplied from the center of the target. Specifically, an opening of a 5 mmφ gas supply pipe is provided at the center of two opposing targets (total of 4), and argon is supplied at 50 sccm and oxygen is supplied at 12.5 sccm from each opening. Sputtering film formation was performed to produce a magnetic recording medium. The SNR variation in the obtained magnetic recording medium surface was 7% at the maximum, and the OW value variation was 5% at the maximum.
From the above comparison, it is important to provide two turbo molecular pumps in the upper part of the reactive sputtering apparatus, and in addition, it is also important to provide one turbo molecular pump in the lower part of the reactive sputtering apparatus. Furthermore, it has become clear that it is important to supply the mixed gas from the equally spaced discharge holes inside the gas inflow pipe having the annular portion toward the center side.

  According to the present invention, it becomes possible to form a magnetic layer having a uniform magnetic characteristic in the plane direction, and thereby, a magnetic recording medium having stable recording / reproducing characteristics, and a high performance using the magnetic recording medium. It becomes possible to provide a hard disk drive.

It is a typical longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the perpendicular magnetic recording medium in which a magnetic layer is formed using the formation method of the magnetic layer of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the film-forming apparatus used with the formation method of the magnetic layer of this invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic right side view of the film forming apparatus shown in FIG. 2. It is a side view which shows an example of the gas inflow tube with which the film-forming apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is provided. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus to which a perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a magnetic layer formed by a magnetic layer forming method according to the present invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Nonmagnetic substrate, 2 ... Soft magnetic backing layer, 3 ... Orientation control layer, 4 ... Underlayer, 5 ... Magnetic recording layer (magnetic layer), 6 ... Protective layer, 10 ... Perpendicular magnetic recording medium, 100 ... Film formation 101: Reaction vessel 101a ... Reaction space 102 ... Gas supply means 103 ... First exhaust means 104 ... Second exhaust means 105 ... Substrate transport device 106-109 ... Side walls 111 ... First 112 ... second exhaust port, 113 ... first cathode, 117 ... first target, 121-124 ... first to fourth gas inflow pipes, 125 ... straight pipe part, 126 ... annular part , 126a, gas discharge port, 127, 128, 129, vacuum pump, 134, first exhaust pipe, 135, second exhaust pipe, 136, substrate loading chamber, 138, first carrier, 141, moving operation mechanism , 300 ... Magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, 302 ... Magnetic Head,

Claims (17)

A method for forming a magnetic layer, comprising forming a magnetic layer containing at least Co, Cr, Pt and having a granular structure on both surfaces of a substrate by reactive sputtering,
In the reaction vessel, the substrate is disposed so that the surface direction is vertical, and a pair of electrode units each having a target disposed on the surface of the sputter electrode and the sputter electrode are provided with the target. Arranged on the substrate side so as to face both surfaces of the substrate, a mixed gas containing argon and oxygen is placed near the surface on the substrate side of the pair of electrode units from the outer peripheral portion toward the central portion. A method for forming a magnetic layer, characterized in that the magnetic layer is formed by reactive sputtering while exhaust gas generated after the reaction is supplied from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the reaction vessel while being supplied in a flowing manner. The method of forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein the mixed gas contains H ₂ O.   3. The method for forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic layer is a perpendicular magnetic layer having magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.   The magnetic layer includes at least one of Si oxide, Ti oxide, W oxide, Cr oxide, Co oxide, Ta oxide, and Ru oxide as a grain boundary constituent material forming a granular structure. The method for forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic layer is formed.   5. The method of forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the magnetic layer is in the range of 1 nm to 15 nm.   The method for forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic layer contains an oxide within a range of 3 mol% to 15 mol%.   The said board | substrate is a disk-shaped board | substrate used with a magnetic recording medium, The said magnetic layer of a granular structure is a magnetic recording layer of a magnetic recording medium, The any one of Claims 1-6 characterized by the above-mentioned. Of forming a magnetic layer. A gas inflow pipe having an annular shape and a plurality of gas discharge ports provided on the inner peripheral wall along the circumference is arranged on the substrate side of the pair of electrode units,
The mixed gas is introduced into the gas inflow pipe and discharged from the gas discharge ports, so that the mixed gas is disposed near the surface on the substrate side of the pair of electrode units, from the outer peripheral portion to the central portion. The method for forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic layer is supplied so as to flow toward the surface.   The method for forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust means for exhausting the exhaust gas includes a turbo molecular pump.   The method for forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust means for exhausting the exhaust gas includes a cryopump.   The first exhaust means for exhausting the exhaust gas from one end in the longitudinal direction of the reaction vessel and the second exhaust means for exhausting from the other end, and at least one of the exhaust means is two vacuum pumps The method of forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein an apparatus having a configuration including:   12. The method of forming a magnetic layer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pairs of the pair of electrode units are used, and magnetic layers are formed in parallel on both surfaces of a plurality of substrates.   A magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic film obtained by the forming method according to claim 1.   A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus comprising a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic head for recording / reproducing information on the magnetic recording medium, wherein the magnetic recording medium is the magnetic recording medium according to claim 13. Magnetic recording / reproducing device. A reaction space is provided inside the reaction vessel, a first exhaust means communicating with the reaction space is connected above the reaction vessel, and at least a pair of electrode units each having a cathode and a target arranged opposite to each other are connected to each other. A substrate transfer device that is installed in an opposed state and that allows a substrate to be taken in and out between the paired electrode units is provided below the electrode unit, and is provided on the lower side of the reaction vessel and below the substrate transfer device. A second exhaust means is connected to the side,
A film forming apparatus comprising a gas inflow pipe for supplying a reaction gas, which is provided with an annular portion in the vicinity of each of the opposing targets, and an outlet is provided on the inner peripheral side of the annular portion.   An annular portion of the gas inflow pipe is disposed so as to surround a plasma generation space between the target and the substrate, and a reaction gas can be freely supplied from the peripheral side to the center side of the plasma generation space. The film forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein   The gas inflow tube is capable of supplying a mixed gas containing argon gas and oxygen gas, and oxygen radicals, oxygen ions, or oxygen atoms are introduced into a plasma space generated between the substrate and the target. The film forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein plasma containing the generated plasma is generated.

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