woods@weird.com (Greg A. Woods) writes:
> [ On , May 22, 2001 at 07:27:17 (-0700), Wolfgang Rupprecht wrote: ]
> > According to my resident magnetics expert, folks have always known how
> > to make magnetically hard layers.
> three atoms thick?  Known theoretically, or practically?

According to my expert making single atom layers is not difficult.
Folks have been doing that for a long time.  The trick is making thin
layers that retain their magnetic domains and don't "fade" as a
function of time.  The normal trick for making such magnetic domains
is to make the material very magnetically "hard".  That is, hard to
magnetize and conversely hard to demagnetize.  The media that
leading-edge folks are toying with now (and are drooling over) are too
magnetically "hard" to magnetize with current heads.

It is entirely possible that IBM found a way of layering something
that is easy to magnetize but won't demagnetize itself by just sitting
around for a few months.  On the other hand, there is nothing in this
press release which would differentiate it from a "fluff-piece".  They
very carefully avoided mentioning any hard technical facts.  That is
what raised my eyebrows.

-wolfgang 

PS.  For the last few years I've only bought IBM drives -- they do
     make a darn good product.  I'm just not a big fan of their
     over-the-top press releases.
-- 
       Wolfgang Rupprecht <wolfgang+gnus@dailyplanet.wsrcc.com>
		    http://www.wsrcc.com/wolfgang/
Coming soon: GPS mapping tools for Open Systems. http://www.gnomad-mapping.com/