Magnetic recording medium and magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus

A magnetic recording medium, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a soft magnetic layer having at least a part thereof on a side opposite to the substrate formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern;
• a recording layer oriented to have magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to a surface, the soft magnetic layer and the recording layer being formed in this order over the substrate;
• and
• a high coercive force layer provided between the recording layer and the soft magnetic layer and/or between the substrate and the soft magnetic layer to apply a magnetic field to the soft magnetic layer in a predetermined direction substantially parallel to the surface, the high coercive force layer being formed of a high coercive force material having greater coercive force than that of the soft magnetic layer.

A magnetic recording medium, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a soft magnetic layer having at least a part thereof on a side opposite to the substrate formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern;
• a recording layer oriented to have magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to a surface, the soft magnetic layer and the recording layer being formed in this order over the substrate;
• and
• a high coercive force material filled within a concave portion in the soft magnetic layer to apply a magnetic field to the soft magnetic layer in a predetermined direction substantially parallel to the surface, the high coercive force material having greater coercive force than that of the soft magnetic layer.