Abstract: A magnetic recording medium controllably textured by performing sputter etching or reactive ion etching either on the surface of a smooth substrate, which can be nickel-phosphorous/aluminum-magnesium (Al--Mg) substrate, or on the surface of a protective layer, such as a carbon overcoat. Both types of etching processes described above are carried out in a sputtering apparatus and have an etching mask of discrete hemi-spherical structures formed by the agglomeration of a low melting point metal or alloy such as indium or Pb--Sn, which has been deposited on a non-wetting surface such as the oxidized surface of NiP layer or the protective carbon overcoat prior to etching. The morphology of the textured surface can be controlled by adjusting the average thickness of the deposited masking materials, the gas composition, as well as the base pressure during etching.