Production process of perpendicular magnetic recording medium

A production process of a magnetic recording medium, which comprises a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and a carbon protective layer on a substrate, wherein the perpendicular magnetic recording layer is formed from a magnetic material containing a Co alloy and an oxide material, comprising:

• a perpendicular magnetic recording layer formation process of forming the perpendicular magnetic recording layer on the substrate;
• a heating process of heating the substrate on which has been formed the perpendicular magnetic recording layer;
• and,
• a protective layer formation process of forming the carbon protective layer by the plasma CVD method on the substrate on which is formed the perpendicular magnetic recording layer,
• wherein
• in the perpendicular magnetic recording layer formation process, a temperature during formation of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer is less than 80° C,
• in the protective layer formation process, a film deposition temperature during formation or the carbon protective layer is 80° C. or higher,
• the perpendicular magnetic recording layer has a structure in which a nonmagnetic layer, consisting of an oxide material, surrounds a magnetic layer, consisting of a Co alloy, and
• the oxide material is any one of, or is two or more among, SiO2, TiO, TiO2, ZrO2, Cr2O3 , CoO, Ta2O5, and Al2O3.