A method of fabricating a magnetic recording medium sequentially forms a magnetic recording layer, a protection layer, and a lubricant layer on a stacked body. The lubricant layer is formed on a surface of the protection layer by vapor-phase lubrication without exposing the stacked body to atmosphere after forming the protection layer on the stacked body. Nitrogen atoms or oxygen atoms are injected onto the surface of the protection layer after forming the protection layer and before forming the lubricant layer.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium with high magnetic recording characteristics and improved corrosion resistance is obtained. The magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an orientation control layer provided on the substrate and made from a Ni alloy or an Ag alloy, a nonmagnetic seed layer provided to be in contact with the orientation control layer, a perpendicular magnetic recording layer containing Fe or Co and Pt as main components. The nonmagnetic seed layer is formed of Ag particles, Ge grain boundaries and a compound X, and the compound X is selected from an oxide, nitride or carbide of aluminum, titanium, chromium, silicon and tantalum and also distributed in both the Ag particles and Ge grain boundaries.

Methods of forming a magnetic storage disc, the method including depositing a carbon containing material on a magnetic recording layer to form a carbon containing layer, wherein the carbon containing layer is deposited using chemical vapor deposition, ion beam deposition, or filtered cathodic arc deposition; treating the carbon containing layer with a source of oxygen to form an oxygen layer; and depositing a lubricant on the oxygen layer.

A method of protecting a magnetic layer of a magnetic recording medium is provided to reduce the thickness of the magnetic spacing while improving corrosion resistance and tribological performance of the magnetic recording medium.

Various apparatuses, systems, methods, and media are disclosed to provide a magnetic recording medium that capping layer doped with an effective amount of metal to control grain-to-grain exchange coupling in a capping layer. A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer (MRL) on the substrate, and a capping layer on the MRL. The capping layer include Co and is doped with a metal (e.g., Ru or Ta) in a range from 1 atomic percent to 5 atomic percent, inclusive.

A method of producing a magnetic recording medium is provided, in which a lubricating layer is formed on a stack including a magnetic recording layer and a protective layer disposed on a substrate in this order. The method includes: coating the stack with first and second lubricants; burnishing a surface of the coated stack with an abrasive material; and removing the second lubricant present on the stack. The first lubricant has a mean molecular weight greater than that of the second lubricant, and molecules of the first lubricant are more polar than molecules of the second lubricant. The burnishing includes pressing a tape including the abrasive material against the surface of the stack to rub the surface of the stack. The removing of the second lubricant includes irradiating the coated stack with ultraviolet rays, or performing a heat treatment on the coated stack.

A deposition apparatus, which forms a film on a substrate, includes a rotation unit configured to rotate a target about a rotating axis; a striker configured to generate an arc discharge; a driving unit configured to drive the striker so as to make a close state which the striker closes to a side surface around the rotating axis of the target to generate the arc discharge; and a control unit configured to control rotation of the target by the rotation unit so as to change a facing position on the side surface of the target facing the striker in the close state.

A magnetic recording medium production method which includes forming a lubricating layer over a stack including a substrate, a magnetic recording layer over the substrate, and a protective layer over the magnetic recording layer includes applying a first lubricant and a second lubricant to the stack; burnishing, with an abrasive, a surface of the stack to which the first lubricant and the second lubricant are applied; and removing the second lubricant over the stack. The application of the second lubricant is performed through spin coating. The burnishing includes abrading the surface of the stack by pressing a tape containing the abrasive against the surface of the stack. The removal of the second lubricant includes at least one of irradiating the stack, to which the first lubricant and the second lubricant are applied, with ultraviolet radiation, or heating the stack to which the first lubricant and the second lubricant are applied.

A magnetic recording medium production method, which includes forming a lubricating layer over a stack including a substrate, a magnetic recording layer over the substrate, and a protective layer over the magnetic recording layer, includes applying a first lubricant and a second lubricant to the stack; burnishing, with an abrasive, a surface of the stack to which the first lubricant and the second lubricant are applied; and removing the second lubricant over the stack. The burnishing includes abrading the surface of the stack by pressing a tape containing the abrasive against the surface of the stack. The removal of the second lubricant includes irradiating the stack, to which the first lubricant and the second lubricant are applied, with light emitted from an LED light source.