Magnetic transfer method and apparatus

A magnetic transfer method comprising the steps of:

• conjoining the magnetic layer of a magnetic transfer master medium, on which a pattern has been formed for transferring data to a magnetic recording medium, and the magnetic layer of a slave medium to form a conjoined body;
• and applying a transfer magnetic field to said conjoined body so as to magnetically transfer the data borne by said patterned magnetic layer of the master medium to the magnetic layer of the slave medium, wherein
• a disk shaped vertical magnetic recording medium having a concentric circular track is used as said slave medium, and
• after an initial direct current magnetic field has been applied unidirectionally in the direction perpendicular to the track surface of said slave medium and said slave medium has been thereby initially direct current magnetized unidirectionally in the direction perpendicular to the track surface thereof,
• a magnetic transfer is performed simultaneously across the entirety of the track region of the magnetic layer of the slave medium, which has been conjoined with the magnetic layer of the master medium by disposing the conjoined body comprising the slave medium and the master medium within a transfer magnetic field generated over a region larger than the track region of said slave medium in the direction opposite that in which the initial direct current magnetic field has been applied.