Pattern forming method and manufacturing method of magnetic recording medium

A manufacturing method of a magnetic recording medium, comprising:

• preparing a second dispersion on a substrate including a magnetic recording layer by adding a second protective group and second solvent to fine particles including a first protective group whose surface polarity is close to that of the substrate, the fine particles containing, at least on the surface thereof, a material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, titan, vanadium, chrome, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, yttrium, zirconium, tin, molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, gold, silver, palladium, copper, platinum, and an oxide thereof;
• modifying the fine particles including the first protective group with the second protective group in the second dispersion to form the fine particles including the first and second protective groups;
• adding a viscosity adjustment agent to the dispersion containing the fine particles including the first and second protective groups to prepare a fine particle coating solution;
• applying the fine particle coating solution on the substrate to form a single-layered fine particle layer thereon;
• and
• transferring a periodic pattern formed of the fine particle layer to the magnetic recording layer.

A pattern forming method, the method comprising:

• preparing a dispersion on a substrate by adding a second protective group and second solvent to fine particles including a first protective group whose surface polarity is close to that of the substrate, the fine particles containing, at least on the surface thereof, a material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, titan, vanadium, chrome, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, yttrium, zirconium, tin, molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, gold, silver, palladium, copper, platinum, and an oxide thereof;
• modifying the fine particles including the first protective group with the second protective group in the dispersion to form the fine particles including the first and second protective groups;
• adding a viscosity adjustment agent to the dispersion containing the fine particles including the first and second protective groups to prepare a fine particle coating solution;
• and
• applying the fine particle coating solution on the substrate to form a fine particle layer thereon.