Method of manufacturing magnetic recording medium

A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, comprising:

• forming a first hard mask, a second hard mask comprising an element selected from the group consisting of Aluminum (Al), Silicon (Si), Tantalum (Ta), Titanium (Ti), Silver (Ag), Gold (Au), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Palladium (Pd) and Platinum (Pt), and a resist on a magnetic recording layer;
• imprinting a stamper to the resist to transfer patterns of protrusions and recesses to the resist;
• removing residues in the recesses of the patterned resist;
• etching the second hard mask by using the patterned resist as a mask to transfer the patterns of protrusions and recesses to the second hard mask;
• etching the first hard mask by using the second hard mask as a mask to transfer the patterns of protrusions and recesses to the first hard mask;
• removing the second hard mask remaining on the protrusions of the first hard mask;
• and
• deactivating the magnetic recording layer exposed in the recesses by an ion beam irradiation using a gas mixture of Helium (He) and Nitrogen (N2), or a gas of Tetrafluoromethane (CF4).