A heat-assisted magnetic recording medium includes: a substrate; an underlayer; and a magnetic layer that is (001)-oriented. In the magnetic layer, a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer are stacked in this order from the underlayer side. The first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer include an alloy having an L1.sub.0 structure. The second magnetic layer includes a ferrite at grain boundaries of magnetic grains. The ferrite is one or more kinds selected from the group consisting of NiFe.sub.2O.sub.4, MgFe.sub.2O.sub.4, MnFe.sub.2O.sub.4, CuFe.sub.2O.sub.4, ZnFe.sub.2O.sub.3, CoFe.sub.2O.sub.4, BaFe.sub.2O.sub.4, SrFe.sub.2O.sub.4, and Fe.sub.3O.sub.4. A Curie temperature of the magnetic grains is lower than a Curie temperature of the ferrite.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording medium includes: a substrate; an underlayer; and a magnetic layer that is (001)-oriented. In the magnetic layer, a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer are stacked in this order from the underlayer side. The first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer include an alloy having an L1.sub.0 structure. The second magnetic layer includes a ferrite at grain boundaries of magnetic grains. The ferrite is one or more kinds selected from the group consisting of NiFe.sub.2O.sub.4, MgFe.sub.2O.sub.4, MnFe.sub.2O.sub.4, CuFe.sub.2O.sub.4, ZnFe.sub.2O.sub.3, CoFe.sub.2O.sub.4, BaFe.sub.2O.sub.4, SrFe.sub.2O.sub.4, and Fe.sub.3O.sub.4. A Curie temperature of the magnetic grains is lower than a Curie temperature of the ferrite.

A magnetic recording medium includes a nonmagnetic substrate, a soft magnetic underlayer, an orientation control layer, a perpendicular magnetic layer, and a protection layer that are arranged in this order. The perpendicular magnetic layer includes a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer that are arranged in this order on the orientation control layer. The first magnetic layer has a granular structure including an oxide at grain boundary parts of magnetic grains, and the second magnetic layer is closest to the protection layer among layers within the perpendicular magnetic layer, and includes magnetic grains made of a CoCrPt alloy, and a nitride of carbon or a hydride of carbon.

In a perpendicular magnetic recording medium and a method of manufacturing the same, a first magnetic recording layer includes first magnetic crystal grains and a first non-magnetic portion containing carbon, a second magnetic recording layer includes second magnetic crystal grains and a second non-magnetic portion containing ZnO, a third magnetic recording layer includes third magnetic crystal grains and a third non-magnetic portion containing carbon, a film thickness t2 of the second magnetic recording layer is 0.1 nm to 7.0 nm, a volume fraction x2 of the second non-magnetic portion in the second magnetic recording layer at completion of formation is 0.20 to 0.90, a film thickness t3 of the third magnetic recording layer is 0.5 nm to 4.0 nm, a volume fraction x3 of the third non-magnetic portion in the third magnetic recording layer is 0.20 to 0.70, and (t2/t3)?(x2/x3) is 0.30 to 1.20.

An apparatus includes a first magnetic layer. A second magnetic layer overlies the first magnetic layer and is magnetically softer than the first magnetic layer. An exchange control layer is between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The includes a higher Ms (saturation magnetization) than the first magnetic layer at room temperature.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a first magnetic region, a second magnetic region, and a third magnetic region. The second magnetic region is provided between the third magnetic region and the first magnetic region in a first direction from the third magnetic region to the first magnetic region. A first composition ratio of a first Pt atomic concentration in the first magnetic region to a first Co atomic concentration in the first magnetic region is higher than a second composition ratio of a second Pt atomic concentration in the second magnetic region to a second Co atomic concentration in the second magnetic region. A third composition ratio of a third Pt atom concentration in the third magnetic region to a third Co atom concentration in the third magnetic region is higher than the second composition ratio.

The present invention aims at providing a magnetic recording medium capable of realizing lowering of recording temperature. A magnetic recording medium comprises a substrate, and a magnetic recording layer comprising a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer, in which the second magnetic layer comprises an FePtRh ordered alloy, and the first magnetic layer has Ku at room temperature larger than Ku of the second magnetic layer at room temperature.

Magnetic media having dual phase MgO-X seed layers with both MgO grains and segregants are provided. One such magnetic medium includes a substrate, a heatsink layer on the substrate, a dual phase seed layer on the heatsink layer, where the dual phase seed layer comprises MgO and a segregant, where a concentration of the MgO is greater than 50 percent by volume in the dual phase seed layer, and a magnetic recording layer including FePt on the dual phase seed layer.

An apparatus includes a first magnetic layer. A second magnetic layer overlies the first magnetic layer and is magnetically softer than the first magnetic layer. An exchange control layer is between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The exchange control layer is magnetic and increases vertical coupling between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

An apparatus includes a first magnetic layer. A second magnetic layer overlies the first magnetic layer and is magnetically softer than the first magnetic layer. An exchange control layer is between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The exchange control layer is magnetic and increases vertical coupling between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.