Patent ID: 7150844

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a stamper/imprinter for use in patterning of a recording medium, comprising sequential steps of: (a) providing a substrate/workpiece comprising a topographically patterned surface including a plurality of projections and depressions corresponding to a pattern to be formed in a surface of a said recording medium, wherein at least said topographically patterned surface is comprised of at least one magnetic material having a high saturation magnetization B sat ≧0.5 Tesla and a high permeability μ≧˜5; (b) forming a thin release layer in conformal contact with said topographically patterned surface by means of a dry process, wherein said thin release layer is formed of at least one passivating oxide of said at least one magnetic material; (c) forming a thicker layer of a material in conformal contact with said thin release layer on said topographically patterned surface, wherein said thicker layer is formed of at least one magnetic material having a high saturation magnetization B sat ≧0.5 Tesla and a high permeability μ≧˜5 as said thicker layer; and (d) separating said thicker layer of material from said topographically patterned surface to form therefrom a stamper/imprinter including an imprinting surface having a negative image replica of said topographically patterned surface, separation of said thicker layer of material from said topographically patterned surface being facilitated by said thin release layer formed by said dry process.