Magnetic recording medium, process for producing same, and magnetic recording reproducing apparatus

A process for producing a magnetic recording medium, which comprises forming at least one soft magnetic layer, at least one seed layer, at least one underlayer and at least one perpendicular magnetic recording layer having a (002) crystal plane-orientated hcp structure, in turn on a non-magnetic substrate, wherein:

• said at least one seed layer is formed from a covalently bonded material predominantly comprising a nitride having a hexagonal crystal structure;
• said at least one underlayer is comprised of Ru or Re, or an alloy thereof, which has a (002) crystal plane-orientated hcp structure, or Pt or Pd, or an alloy thereof, which has a (111) crystal plane-orientated (fcc) structure;
• and
• a layer comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of Ni—Ta, Ni—V, Ni—Nb, Ni—W, Ni—Fe and Ni—Mn and having a fcc structure is further formed between said at least one soft magnetic layer and said at least one seed layer.