A device that includes a near field transducer (NFT), the NFT having a disc and a peg, and the peg having an air bearing surface thereof; and at least one adhesion layer positioned on at least the air bearing surface of the peg, the adhesion layer including one or more of platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), yttrium (Y), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and scandium (Sc).

The present invention is a method for mass-production of a recording medium with the component composition thereof monotonically changing along the film thickness direction. In the method, the magnetic recording medium that includes at least a substrate, and first magnetic recording layer and second magnetic recording layer as the magnetic recording layer. The method includes: laminating a second magnetic layer of FePtRh on a first magnetic layer of FePt or FePtRh with heating. In the method, heat treatment may be preheat-treatment or postheat-treatment, when laminating the second magnetic layer of FePtRh onto the first magnetic layer of FePtRh, the concentration of Rh in the second magnetic layer is higher than that of the first magnetic layer.

The present invention is a method for mass-production of a recording medium with the component composition thereof monotonically changing along the film thickness direction. In the method, the magnetic recording medium that includes at least a substrate, and first magnetic recording layer and second magnetic recording layer as the magnetic recording layer. The method includes: laminating a second magnetic layer of FePtRh on a first magnetic layer of FePt or FePtRh with heating. In the method, heat treatment may be preheat-treatment or postheat-treatment, when laminating the second magnetic layer of FePtRh onto the first magnetic layer of FePtRh, the concentration of Rh in the second magnetic layer is higher than that of the first magnetic layer.

A stack includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer having a columnar structure, and an interlayer disposed between the substrate and the magnetic recording layer. The columnar structure includes magnetic grains separated by a crystalline segregant or a combination of crystalline and amorphous segregants.

A stack includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer having a columnar structure, and an interlayer disposed between the substrate and the magnetic recording layer. The columnar structure includes magnetic grains separated by a crystalline segregant or a combination of crystalline and amorphous segregants.

Provided is an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target wherein the oxides have an average grain diameter of 400 nm or less. Also provided is a method of producing an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target. The method involves depositing a magnetic material on a substrate by the PVD or CVD method, then removing the substrate from the deposited magnetic material, pulverizing the material to obtain a raw material for the target, and further sintering the raw material. An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic material target, in particular a nonmagnetic grain-dispersed ferromagnetic sputtering target capable of suppressing discharge abnormalities of oxides that are the cause of particle generation during sputtering.

Provided is an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target wherein the oxides have an average grain diameter of 400 nm or less. Also provided is a method of producing an oxide-containing magnetic material sputtering target. The method involves depositing a magnetic material on a substrate by the PVD or CVD method, then removing the substrate from the deposited magnetic material, pulverizing the material to obtain a raw material for the target, and further sintering the raw material. An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic material target, in particular a nonmagnetic grain-dispersed ferromagnetic sputtering target capable of suppressing discharge abnormalities of oxides that are the cause of particle generation during sputtering.

An FePt-based sintered sputtering target containing C and/or BN, wherein an area ratio of AgCu alloy grains on a polished surface of a cross section that is perpendicular to a sputtered surface of the sputtering target is 0.5% or more and 15% or less. An object of this invention is to provide a sputtering target capable of reducing particles generation during sputtering and efficiently depositing a magnetic thin film of a magnetic recording medium.

An FePt-based sintered sputtering target containing C and/or BN, wherein an area ratio of AgCu alloy grains on a polished surface of a cross section that is perpendicular to a sputtered surface of the sputtering target is 0.5% or more and 15% or less. An object of this invention is to provide a sputtering target capable of reducing particles generation during sputtering and efficiently depositing a magnetic thin film of a magnetic recording medium.

A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an underlayer provided on the substrate, and a magnetic layer provided on the underlayer and having a L1.sub.0 structure and a (001) orientation. The magnetic layer has a granular structure in which an organic compound having a methylene skeleton or a methine skeleton is arranged at grain boundaries of magnetic grains.