A fluorine-containing ether compound represented by Formula (1) is provided.
R.sup.1—R.sup.2—CH.sub.2—R.sup.3—CH.sub.2—R.sup.4—R.sup.5   (1)
(In Formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.5 each represents a group having a heterocyclic ring and may be the same as or different from each other, R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 each represents a divalent linking group having a polar group and play be the same as or different from each other, and R.sup.3 represents a perfluoropolyether chain.)

A manufacturing method for a magnetic recording medium which includes a magnetic layer, a lower protective layer, an upper protective layer and a lubricating layer on a substrate, and in which the total film thickness of the lower protective layer and the upper protective layer is 2.5 nm or less, includes: 1) depositing the lower protective layer; 2) performing oxygen plasma treatment on the lower protective layer; 3) depositing the upper protective layer; and 4) performing nitrogen plasma treatment on the upper protective layer. It is preferable that the lower protective layer and the upper protective layer are formed of a carbon-based material, and it is further more preferable that the lower protective layer and the upper protective layer are formed of diamond-like carbon. Moreover, it is preferable that the contact angle of the lower protective layer with respect to water in the atmosphere is 25° or less.

An anti-reflection storage medium. The anti-reflection storage medium includes a storage layer and a protective overcoat disposed over the storage later. The protective overcoat has a first refractive index value that is matched to a second refractive index value of the storage layer to reduce reflection of incident light applied to the storage medium when data is written to the storage layer of the storage medium.

A fluorine-containing ether compound represented by Formula (1) is provided.

R.sup.1R.sup.2CH.sub.2R.sup.3CH.sub.2R.sup.4R.sup.5 (1)

(In Formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.5 each represents a group having a heterocyclic ring and may be the same as or different from each other, R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 each represents a divalent linking group having a polar group and play be the same as or different from each other, and R.sup.3 represents a perfluoropolyether chain.)

A magnetic recording medium which is capable of effectively preventing a surface thereof from being contaminated, and is capable of preventing a contaminant thereon from adhering (being transferred) to a magnetic head, and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus including the magnetic recording medium are provided, A carbon protective layer of the magnetic recording medium is nitrided, and as a lubricant a compound A expressed by the following General Formula (1) and a compound B expressed by the following General Formula (2) are mixed and used.
R.sup.1C.sub.6H.sub.4OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2R.sup.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH(1)
CH.sub.2(OH)CH(OH)CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2(OCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2).sub.mOCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH(2)

A magnetic recording medium 11 in which the outermost surface of a protective layer 3 on a lubricant layer 4 side contains carbon and nitrogen of 10 atomic % to 90 atomic %, the lubricant layer 4 is formed by being in contact with the outermost surface, and contains a compound A of Formula (1) and a compound B of Formula (2), a mass ratio (A/B) of the compound A with respect to the compound B is 0.2 to 0.3, the average molecular weights of the compounds A and B are 1,500 to 2,000 and 1,300 to 2,400, respectively, and the average film thickness is 0.5 nm to 2 nm.
R1-C.sub.6H.sub.4OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2R2-CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (1) (R1 is an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. R2 is CF.sub.2O(CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O)x(CF.sub.2O)yCF.sub.2).
HOCH.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O(CF.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O)mCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (2)

In a magnetic recording medium of the present invention, an outermost surface of a protective layer 3 on a lubricant layer 4 side contains carbon and nitrogen in a range of 50 atomic % to 90 atomic %, and the lubricant layer 4 is formed by being in contact with the outermost surface, contains compounds A to C represented in the below general formulas (1) to (3) described below, and has a film thickness of 0.5 nm to 2 nm.
R1-C.sub.6H.sub.4OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2R2-CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (1),
CH.sub.2(OH)CH(OH)CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2(OCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2).sub.mOCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (2),
HOCH.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O(CF.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O)sCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (3)

An anti-reflection storage medium. The anti-reflection storage medium includes a storage layer and a protective overcoat disposed over the storage later. The protective overcoat has a first refractive index value that is matched to a second refractive index value of the storage layer to reduce reflection of incident light applied to the storage medium when data is written to the storage layer of the storage medium.

In a magnetic recording medium of the present invention, an outermost surface of a protective layer 3 on a lubricant layer 4 side contains carbon and nitrogen in a range of 50 atomic % to 90 atomic %, and the lubricant layer 4 is formed by being in contact with the outermost surface, contains compounds A to C represented in the below general formulas (1) to (3) described below, and has a film thickness of 0.5 nm to 2 nm.

R1-C.sub.6H.sub.4OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2R2-CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (1),

CH.sub.2(OH)CH(OH)CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2(OCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2).sub.mOCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (2),

HOCH.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O(CF.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O)sCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (3)

A magnetic recording medium 11 in which the outermost surface of a protective layer 3 on a lubricant layer 4 side contains carbon and nitrogen of 10 atomic % to 90 atomic %, the lubricant layer 4 is formed by being in contact with the outermost surface, and contains a compound A of Formula (1) and a compound B of Formula (2), a mass ratio (A/B) of the compound A with respect to the compound B is 0.2 to 0.3, the average molecular weights of the compounds A and B are 1,500 to 2,000 and 1,300 to 2,400, respectively, and the average film thickness is 0.5 nm to 2 nm.

R1-C.sub.6H.sub.4OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2R2-CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (1) (R1 is an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. R2 is CF.sub.2O(CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O)x(CF.sub.2O)yCF.sub.2.)

HOCH.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O(CF.sub.2CF.sub.2CF.sub.2O)mCF.sub.2CF.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2OH (2)