Magnetic recording medium and manufacturing method therefore

A magnetic recording medium, comprising:

• a non-magnetic substrate;
• at least a non-magnetic under-layer on said non-magnetic substrate;
• at least a magnetic layer on said non-magnetic under-layer;
• at least a protective layer on said magnetic layer;
• said magnetic layer having a substantially granular structure;
• said substantially granular structure including at least a plurality of ferromagnetic grains having a non-magnetic grain boundary phase surrounding said plurality of ferromagnetic grain;
• said plurality of ferromagnetic grains each having a hexagonal close-packed lattice structure;
• said non-magnetic grain boundary phase including at least one of a metal oxide and a metal nitride;
• said non-magnetic under-layer having a body-centered cubic crystal lattice structure and a preferential crystal orientation of (200) plane parallel to a film surface of said non-magnetic under-layer, whereby a c-axis of each said ferromagnetic grain preferentially aligns parallel to said film surface and minimizes a perpendicular component of magnetization in said magnetic layer thus reducing noise;
• a non-magnetic alignment-control layer;
• said non-magnetic alignment-control layer between said non-magnetic under layer and said non-magnetic substrate;
• said non-magnetic alignment control layer having a cubic lattice structure;
• and said non-magnetic alignment-control layer having a crystal orientation plane parallel to a second film surface of said non-magnetic alignment-control layer, and said crystal orientation plane is a (100) plane.