Abstract: In one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a magnetic recording layer including a magnetic material characterized by having convex and concave portions, the convex portions acting as magnetic regions, a nonmagnetic material positioned within each concave portion of the magnetic material which act as nonmagnetic regions that separate the magnetic regions, an organic material layer which exhibits a corrosion-inhibiting characteristic with respect to cobalt or cobalt alloy positioned on a nonmagnetic region side of each concave portion, and an oxide layer and/or hydroxide layer positioned adjacent the organic material layer on a magnetic region side of each concave portion of the magnetic material. In another embodiment, the magnetic recording medium may be a patterned recording layer having a protective film, and the oxide layer and/or hydroxide layer may be positioned at least in defect portions of the protective film.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium characterized by includes: a substrate; an undercoat layer formed on the substrate and made of a soft magnetic material; a recording layer formed on the undercoat layer and having an easy axis of magnetization in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to a surface of the perpendicular magnetic recording medium; and a protective layer which is formed on the recording layer and in which soft magnetic particles are mixed.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a magnetic recording medium which exhibits an excellent corrosion resistance. To this end, proposed is a magnetic recording medium including a magnetic recording layer in which: a magnetic body and a filling body alternately appear along a recording surface; and a layer made of a passivated metal or an alloy containing at least one passivated metal is formed in an interface portion between an area of the magnetic body and an area of the filling body.