Magnetic recording medium, production process thereof, and magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

A process for producing a magnetic recording medium comprising a substrate, a carbon-containing undercoat film formed thereon having a thickness of 30 nm to 100 nm, and a perpendicular magnetic film which has a single or multilayer structure, in which most of easy-magnetization axes are oriented vertically with respect to the substrate, formed directly on the undercoat film, which process comprises:

• forming the perpendicular magnetic film through a plurality of sputtering depositions using at least one element selected from the group consisting of Pt and Pd and through a plurality of sputtering depositions using a Co-containing material, and wherein a sputter deposition of the at least one element selected from the group consisting of Pt and Pd alternates with a sputter deposition of the Co-containing material.

A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus comprising a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic head for recording data onto the medium and reproducing the data therefrom,

• wherein the magnetic recording medium comprises a substrate, a carbon-containing undercoat film formed thereon having a thickness of 30 nm to 100 nm, and a perpendicular magnetic film, in which most of easy-magnetization axes are oriented vertically with respect to the substrate, formed directly on the undercoat film;
• and
• wherein the perpendicular magnetic film has a single or multilayer structure and is formed through a plurality of sputtering depositions using at least one element selected from the group consisting of Pt and Pd and through a plurality of sputtering depositions using a Co-containing material, and wherein a sputter deposition of the at least one element selected from the group consisting of Pt and Pd alternates with a sputter deposition of the Co-containing material.