A method, in one approach, includes forming a magnetic recording layer having: encapsulated nanoparticles each comprising a magnetic nanoparticle encapsulated by an encapsulating layer, and a polymeric binder binding the encapsulated nanoparticles.

A tape cartridge, according to one approach, includes a housing, and a magnetic recording tape at least partially stored in the housing. The magnetic recording tape including a recording layer having encapsulated nanoparticles each comprising a magnetic nanoparticle encapsulated by an encapsulating layer, and a polymeric binder binding the encapsulated nanoparticles. A tape cartridge, according to another approach, includes a housing, and a magnetic recording tape at least partially stored in the housing. The magnetic recording tape include an underlayer having encapsulated nanoparticles each comprising a magnetic nanoparticle encapsulated by an aromatic polymer, and a polymeric binder binding the encapsulated nanoparticles.

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support and a magnetic layer including ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent, in which the magnetic layer has a timing-based servo pattern, an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern, specified by magnetic force microscopy is a shape in which a difference (L.sub.99.9L.sub.0.1) between a value L.sub.99.9 of a cumulative distribution function of 99.9% and a value L.sub.0.1 of a cumulative distribution function of 0.1% in a position deviation width from an ideal shape of the magnetic tape in a longitudinal direction is 180 nm or less, and an isoelectric point of a surface zeta potential of the magnetic layer is 3.8 or less.

The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic support; a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder on one surface of the non-magnetic support; and a back coating layer including a non-magnetic powder on the other surface of the non-magnetic support, in which a difference (S.sub.afterS.sub.before) between a spacing S.sub.after measured by optical interferometry regarding a surface of the back coating layer after ethanol cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer before ethanol cleaning is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 15.0 nm, and the non-magnetic support is an aromatic polyester support having a moisture absorption of 0.3% or less.

The magnetic recording medium includes: a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer including ferromagnetic powder, in which a difference (S.sub.0.5S.sub.13.5) between a spacing S.sub.0.5 measured on a surface of the magnetic layer by optical interferometry after n-hexane cleaning under a pressure of 0.5 atm and a spacing S.sub.13.5 measured on the surface of the magnetic layer by optical interferometry after n-hexane cleaning under a pressure of 13.5 atm is 9.0 nm or more.

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer in which the magnetic layer has a timing-based servo pattern, an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern, specified by magnetic force microscopy is a shape in which a difference between a value L.sub.99.9 of a cumulative distribution function of 99.9% and a value L.sub.0.1 of a cumulative distribution function of 0.1% in a position deviation width from an ideal shape of the magnetic tape in a longitudinal direction is 180 nm or less, and a difference between a spacing S.sub.after measured on a surface of the magnetic layer by an optical interferometry after methyl-ethyl-ketone cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured on the surface of the magnetic layer by an optical interferometry before methyl-ethyl-ketone cleaning is greater than 0 nm and 15.0 nm or less. w

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support and a magnetic layer including ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent, in which the magnetic layer has a timing-based servo pattern, an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern, specified by magnetic force microscopy is a shape in which a difference (L.sub.99.9L.sub.0.1) between a value L.sub.99.9 of a cumulative distribution function of 99.9% and a value L.sub.0.1 of a cumulative distribution function of 0.1% in a position deviation width from an ideal shape of the magnetic tape in a longitudinal direction is 180 nm or less, and an isoelectric point of a surface zeta potential of the magnetic layer is 3.8 or less.

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer, in which the magnetic layer has a timing-based servo pattern, an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern, specified by magnetic force microscopy is a shape in which a difference L.sub.99.9L.sub.0.1 between a value L.sub.99.9 of a cumulative distribution function of 99.9% and a value L.sub.0.1 of a cumulative distribution function of 0.1% in a position deviation width from an ideal shape of the magnetic tape in a longitudinal direction is 180 nm or less, and an absolute value N of a difference between a refractive index Nxy of the magnetic layer, measured in an in-plane direction and a refractive index Nz of the magnetic layer, measured in a thickness direction is 0.25 or more and 0.40 or less.

A hexagonal strontium ferrite powder, in which an average particle size is 10.0 to 25.0 nm, a content of one or more kinds of atom selected from the group consisting of a gallium atom, a scandium atom, an indium atom, and an antimony atom is 1.0 to 15.0 atom % with respect to 100.0 atom % of an iron atom, and a coercivity Hc is greater than 2,000 Oe and smaller than 4,000 Oe. A magnetic recording medium including: a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on the non-magnetic support, in which the ferromagnetic powder is the hexagonal strontium ferrite powder. A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus including this magnetic recording medium.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an underlayer, and a magnetic layer including an alloy having a L1.sub.0 crystal structure and first and second layers, arranged in this order. Each of the first and second layers has a granular structure including C, SiO.sub.2, and BN at grain boundaries. Vol % of the grain boundaries in each of the first and second layers is 25 to 45 vol %. Vol % of C in the first layer is 5 to 22 vol %, and a volume ratio of SiO.sub.2 with respect to BN in each of the first and second layers is 0.25 to 3.5. Vol % of SiO.sub.2 in the second layer is greater than that of the first layer by 5 vol % or more. Vol % of BN in the second layer is smaller than that in the first layer by 2 vol % or more.