In this work, we propose exchange-coupled-composite-bit-patterned media (ECC-BPM) with microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) to improve the writability of the magnetic media at a 4 Tb/in2 recording density. The suitable values of the applied microwave field's frequency and the exchange coupling between magnetic dots, Adot, of the proposed media were evaluated. It was found that the magnitude of the switching field, Hsw, of the bilayer ECC-BPM is significantly lower than that of a conventional BPM. Additionally, using the MAMR enables further reduction of Hsw of the ECC-BPM. The suitable frequency of the applied microwave field for the proposed media is 5 GHz. The dependence of Adot on the Hsw was additionally examined, showing that the Adot of 0.14 pJ/m is the most suitable value for the proposed bilayer ECC-BPM. The physical explanation of the Hsw of the media under a variation of MAMR and Adot was given. Hysteresis loops and the magnetic domain of the media were characterized to provide further details on the results. The lowest Hsw found in our proposed media is 12.2 kOe, achieved by the bilayer ECC-BPM with an Adot of 0.14 pJ/m using a 5 GHz MAMR.
Keywords: bit-patterned media; exchange-coupled-composite media; hysteresis loop; microwave-assisted magnetic recording.