Method for manufacturing magnetic recording medium, magnetic recording medium and magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

A method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, comprising steps of:

• depositing an orientation control layer on a non-magnetic substrate to control an orientation of a layer located directly thereon;
• and
• depositing a perpendicular magnetic layer whose easy axis of magnetization is mainly oriented perpendicular to the non-magnetic substrate on the orientation control layer,
• wherein the step of depositing the orientation control layer includes a step of depositing a first granular structure layer containing Ru or a material mainly made of Ru, and a first oxide having a melting point of 1000 degrees C. or lower by a sputtering method, the first oxide being at least one selected from of the group consisting of In2O3, TeO2, Sb2O3 and B2O3, and
• wherein the step of depositing the perpendicular magnetic layer includes a step of depositing a second granular structure layer containing magnetic particles and a second oxide having a melting point of 1000 degrees C. or lower by a sputtering method, and the magnetic particles are grown so as to form a columnar crystal continuing in a thickness direction, the columnar crystal including crystal grains constituting the orientation control layer, the second oxide being at least one selected from of the group consisting of In2O3, TeO2and Sb2O3.