Perpendicular magnetic recording media, manufacturing process of the same, and magnetic storage apparatus using the same

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium, comprising:

• a domain control layer including an antiferromagnetic layer and a crystalline soft magnetic layer formed on said antiferromagnetic layer;
• an amorphous soft magnetic layer formed on said domain control layer;
• and
• a perpendicular recording layer formed on said amorphous soft magnetic layer directly or via an intermediate layer,
• wherein said crystalline soft magnetic layer is formed adjacent to said amorphous soft magnetic layer.

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium, comprising:

• a domain control layer formed on a substrate;
• an amorphous soft magnetic underlayer formed on said domain control layer;
• a nonmagnetic intermediate layer formed on said amorphous soft magnetic underlayer;
• and
• a perpendicular recording layer formed on said nonmagnetic intermediate layer,
• wherein said domain control layer includes a triple-layer film composed of a first polycrystalline soft magnetic layer, a disordered antiferromagnetic layer, and a second polycrystalline soft magnetic layer, which are laminated to each other from a substrate side.