Perpendicular magnetic recording medium and a method for manufacturing the same

摘要

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium has a magnetic recording layer and laminated magnetic layers composed of different materials. In a first magnetic layer of the magnetic recording layer, ferromagnetic grains are surrounded by a nonmagnetic grain boundary region composed principally of oxide and/or nitride. In a second magnetic layer of the magnetic recording layer, ferromagnetic grains are surrounded by a nonmagnetic grain boundary region composed principally of chromium. The recording medium has an intermediate layer composed of a material having hcp or fcc structure. Advantageously, a heating process is conducted after forming the first magnetic layer and before forming the second magnetic layer. The medium achieves improvement in electromagnetic conversion characteristics and simultaneously improvement in corrosion resistance to provide a perpendicular magnetic recording medium with high recording density and simultaneously high reliability.