Perpendicular magnetic recording medium and method of manufacturing the same

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic recording layer that records a signal, an underlayer formed of Ru or Ru compound below the magnetic recording layer, a non-magnetic layer to control crystal orientation of the underlayer, a soft magnetic layer provided below the non-magnetic layer, and a substrate on which the magnetic recording layer, the underlayer, the non-magnetic layer, and the soft magnetic layer are formed,

• the non-magnetic layer comprising a first non-magnetic layer formed of an amorphous material above the soft magnetic layer, and a second non-magnetic layer formed of a crystalline material with an fcc structure above the first non-magnetic layer,
• the magnetic recording layer being formed of a Co-based alloy that grows into a columnar shape to form magnetic crystal grains and a plurality of oxides that forms non-magnetic grain boundaries between the crystal grains.

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic recording layer that records a signal, an underlayer formed of Ru or Ru compound below the magnetic recording layer, a second non-magnetic layer formed of a non-magnetic crystalline material below the underlayer to control crystal orientation of the underlayer, a soft magnetic layer provided below the second non-magnetic layer, and a substrate on which the magnetic recording layer, the underlayer, the second non-magnetic layers, and the soft magnetic layer are formed,

• the perpendicular magnetic recording medium further comprising a first non-magnetic layer formed of a crystalline material and provided between the second non-magnetic layer and the soft magnetic layer for protecting the soft magnetic layer from impact of sputtering deposition of the second non-magnetic layer.