Magnetic recording medium

A magnetic recording medium comprising a nonmagnetic rigid substrate having opposed major surfaces,

• a metal thin film magnetic layer disposed on one major surface of the substrate, and
• a topcoat layer on the magnetic layer, said topcoat layer comprising a plasma-polymerized film containing carbon, fluorine, wherein the carbon content ranges from 30 to 80 atom %, the hydrogen-to fluorine atom ratio ranges from 0.1.0 to 1.0:1.0, and the average fluorine-to-carbon atom ratio (F/C) in the region of said film that extends from the surface remote from the substrate to 1/3rd of its thickness is at least 1.5 times that in the region of the film that extends from the surface adjacent to the substrate to 1/3rd of its thickness, said plasma-polymerized film being prepared by activating a gaseous reactant into a plasma to generate active species thereof while feeding the reactant into a plasma zone with W/F.M set to 10.sup.7 to 10.sup.15 joule/kg, wherein W is an input power applied for plasma generation, F is the flow rate of the gas reactant, and M is the molecular weight of the gas reactant, whereby the polymerized film has a thickness of 3 to 800 .ANG. and a contact angle with water in the range of from 100.degree. to 130.degree..