Patent ID: 6974643

Claim:
A structure for use in the manufacture of a patterned thin film magnetic recording medium, comprising: a non-magnetic substrate including at least one major surface; and a layer of a glass or glass-like material on said major surface of said substrate, said layer of glass or glass-like material including an exposed surface having a pattern of recesses formed therein by a process comprising steps of: (a) providing a non-magnetic substrate having a major surface; (b) providing a stamper having a recess-patterned surface comprising a negative image of said pattern of recesses to be formed in said medium; (c) forming a layer of a spin-coated, partially dried sol-gel material on said recess-patterned surface of said stamper, said layer comprising a micro-porous structure of silica (SiO 2 ) particles with solvents saturated in the micro-pores thereof, said layer having a first surface in conformal contact with said recess-patterned surface of said stamper and an exposed second surface opposite said first surface; (d) urging said major surface of said substrate into contact with said exposed second surface of said layer of partially dried sol-gel material; (e) removing said recess-patterned surface of said stamper from contact with said first surface of said layer of partially dried sol-gel material while leaving said second surface of said layer of partially dried sol-gel material in contact with said major surface of said substrate, whereby said layer of partially dried sol-gel material is transferred to said major surface of said substrate, such that said first surface of said layer of partially dried sol-gel material is exposed and includes a positive image of said pattern of recesses; and (f) converting said layer of partially dried sol-gel material to a glass or glass-like layer while preserving said pattern of recesses in said exposed first surface thereof.