Provided is an ε-iron oxide type ferromagnetic powder with a powder pH within a range of 4.8 to 6.8; and a method for manufacturing the ε-iron oxide type ferromagnetic powder and a composition containing at least the ε-iron oxide type ferromagnetic powder and a solvent.

In a magnetic recording medium, a number distribution A of a plurality of bright regions, based on equivalent circle diameters thereof, in a binarized image of a secondary electron image obtained by imaging a surface of the magnetic layer by a scanning electron microscope at an acceleration voltage of 5 kV and a number distribution B of a plurality of dark regions, based on equivalent circle diameters thereof, in a binarized image of a secondary electron image obtained by imaging a surface of the magnetic layer by a scanning electron microscope at an acceleration voltage of 2 kV respectively satisfy a predetermined number distribution.

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.after−S.sub.before) between a spacing S.sub.after measured by optical interferometry regarding a surface of the back coating layer after methyl ethyl ketone cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer before methyl ethyl ketone cleaning is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 30.0 nm, and the non-magnetic support is an aromatic polyamide support having a moisture absorption of 2.2% or less.

A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an underlayer provided above the substrate, and a magnetic layer provided on and in contact with the underlayer. The underlayer includes a compound represented by a general formula MgO.sub.(1-x), where x falls within a range of 0.07 to 0.25. The magnetic layer includes an alloy having a L1.sub.0 structure, and the alloy having the L1.sub.0 structure includes one or more elements selected from a group consisting of Al, Si, Ga, and Ge.

A magnetic recording medium for microwave-assisted recording, including a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent, in which the ferromagnetic powder has an average particle size of 5 nm to 20 nm, and a coefficient of variation of a particle size distribution of 35% or lower, and the magnetic layer has a thickness of 25.0 nm to 100.0 nm, and a thickness variation of 1.0 nm to 12.0 nm. A magnetic recording device including a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic head for microwave-assisted recording. A manufacturing method of a magnetic recording medium having a servo pattern on a magnetic layer.

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 magnetic recording tape comprises a tape substrate, a perpendicular magnetic recording layer disposed over the tape substrate, and a soft-magnetic underlayer disposed between the recording layer and the tape substrate. The perpendicular magnetic recording layer comprises magnetic particles suspended in a binder material, and the soft-magnetic underlayer comprises a continuous film of soft-magnetic material. The magnetic particles in the recording layer comprise one of barium ferrite, strontium ferrite, epsilon iron oxide and chromium dioxide. Tape storage apparatus employing such tape is also provided. The apparatus comprises a read/write head having at least one probe write-head for writing data by perpendicular recording on magnetic tape, at least one reel of magnetic tape as defined above, and a tape transport mechanism for transporting the magnetic tape past the read/write head.

The magnetic tape cartridge includes a magnetic tape, and a cartridge reel, in which, in the magnetic tape, a minimum winding deviation occurrence load measured after the magnetic tape is rewound around the cartridge reel by applying a tension of 0.20 N in a longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape is 200 N or less.

A base for a magnetic recording medium, includes an aluminum alloy substrate, and a nickel alloy film provided on at least one principal surface of the aluminum alloy substrate. The nickel alloy film includes Mo in a range of 0.5 wt % to 3 wt %, P in a range of 11 wt % to 15 wt %, and Fe in a range of 0.0001 wt % to 0.001 wt %.

The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer including ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on the non-magnetic support, in which an isoelectric point of a surface zeta potential of the magnetic layer is equal to or greater than 5.5.