CoCrPtB is a conventional material used in some of the layers of a thin
film magnetic media structure used for recording data in data storage
devices such as hard drives. Typically the CoCrPtB layers used for
magnetic media have high Cr and low B in bottom magnetic layers and low
Cr and high B in top magnetic layers. In accordance with one embodiment
of this invention and to improve media electrical performance, fifth
elements, such as Ta, Nb and Hf, etc. were added to the CoCrPtB
materials, resulting in CoCrPtB-X, to enhance the grain segregation. The
five element CoCrPtB-X layers were deposited using a pulsed direct
current sputter technique instead of conventional direct current
sputtering techniques. The resulting magnetic media structure having
CoCrPtB-X alloy layers exhibits an increase in coercivity Hc and
improvement in recording performance.