Nonmagnetic material-dispersed Fe-Pt based sputtering target

A nonmagnetic material-dispersed sintered sputtering target containing Fe, Pt, and Ge, the sputtering target comprising a nonmagnetic material dispersed in the sputtering target, and at least one magnetic phase satisfying a composition represented by (Fe1-αPtα)1-βGeβ in an atomic ratio for Fe, Pt, and Ge, in which α and β represent numbers meeting 0.35≤α≤0.55 and 0.05≤β≤0.2, respectively;

• wherein a raw material of Ge is Ge—Pt alloy powder and/or Pt—Ge—Fe alloy powder and wherein the at least one magnetic phase satisfies a ratio (SGe30mass %/SGe) of 0.13 to 0.35, the ratio (SGe30mass %/SGe) being a proportion of an average area ratio of Ge-based alloy phases containing Ge at a concentration of 30% by mass or more (SGe30mass %) to an area ratio of Ge (SGe) calculated from an entire composition of the sputtering target, in element mapping by EPMA of a polished surface obtained by polishing a cross section perpendicular to a sputtering surface of the sputtering target;
• wherein the nonmagnetic material dispersed in the sputtering target consists of carbon, wherein a raw material of said carbon is carbon powder;
• and,
• wherein the sputtering target comprises at least one third element selected from the group consisting of Au, B, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, Pd, Re, Rh, Ru, Sn, Ta, W, V, and Zn, in an amount of 10 at. % or less as expressed by a ratio of a total number of atoms of the at least one third element to a total number of atoms of Fe, Ge, and Pt, wherein a raw material of each third element is a metal powder.