A contact magnetic transfer method for forming a pattern of magnetized
servo regions in the magnetic recording layer of a rigid magnetic
recording disk uses a flexible master disk and a differential gas pressure
to press the patterns of the master disk against the slave disk. The
master disk is a flexible plastic film with islands of magnetic shielding
material extending above the film surface, the islands forming a pattern
representative of the servo pattern to be formed in the recording layer of
the disk. The plastic film is sealed at the outer periphery of the opening
of a pressure chamber with the islands located outside the chamber. The
previously DC-magnetized slave disk is brought into gentle contact with
the islands and gas pressure inside the chamber is increased to slightly
above atmospheric. This controlled pressure presses the islands into
contact with the slave disk, at which time a magnet magnetizes the regions
of the recording layer not aligned with the islands in the direction
opposite to the original DC-magnetized direction. The magnet is located on
a rotatable stage within the chamber beneath the plastic film and mounted
so that the length of the gap is in the radial direction corresponding to
the radius of the slave disk.
