MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM

摘要

PURPOSE:To improve remarkably the durability of a medium itself and that of a magnetic head by specifying the ratio between the number of O atoms and that of Zr atoms in a thin zirconium oxide film so that a lubricating layer is uniformly formed with satisfactory bonding strength even when a recording magnetic layer is made of a thin metallic film. CONSTITUTION:A magnetic recording medium is obtd. by forming a thin zirconium oxide film on a recording magnetic layer and a lubricating layer on the zirconium oxide film. In the zirconium oxide film, the number of O atoms is <2 times that of Zr atoms. The lubricating layer is easily coated by making the zirconium oxide film deficient in oxygen. The oxygen-deficient zirconium oxide film can be easily formed by sputtering in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. When the zirconium oxide film is represented by a formula ZrO2-X, the film is made deficient in oxygen to such a degree that X satisfies an inequality 0