Recording medium and method of making the same

Abstract

A recording medium includes a substrate, a recording layer provided with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for recording of information, a foundation layer disposed between the substrate and the recording layer, an initial layer which is greater in surface tension than the foundation layer and held in contact with a recoding-layer-side surface of the foundation layer, and a functional layer held in contact with a recoding-layer-side surface of the initial layer.

1 . A method of making a recording medium, the method comprising:
 forming a first foundation layer on a substrate; and   forming an initial layer on the foundation layer by growing islands of a material which is greater in surface tension than the foundation layer;   forming a functional layer on the initial layer; and   forming a recording layer above the functional layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming a second foundation layer on the functional layer, the second foundation layer being smaller in surface tension than the functional layer; and   forming a roughness controlling layer on the second foundation layer by growing islands of a material which is greater in surface tension than the second foundation layer;   wherein the recording layer is formed on the roughness controlling layer.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the functional layer comprises one of a heat sink layer, a non-magnetic layer, a recording magnetic field reducing layer and a soft magnetic layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the functional layer is formed to have a thickness of no less than 20 nm. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first foundation layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of SiN, SiO 2 , YSiO 2 , ZnSiO 2 , AlO and AlN; and   wherein the initial layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of Pt, Au, Pd, Ru, Co and an alloy containing any one of these metal elements.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the first foundation layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of SiN, SiO 2 , YSiO 2 , ZnSiO 2 , AlO and AlN;   wherein the initial layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of Pt, Au, Pd, Ru, Co and an alloy containing any one of these metal elements;   wherein the second foundation later is made of a material selected from the group consisting of SiN, SiO 2 , YSiO 2 , ZnSiO 2 , AlO and AlN; and   wherein the roughness controlling layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of Pt, Au, Pd, Ru, Co and an alloy containing any one of these metal elements; and   wherein the second foundation layer is spaced from the first foundation layer at least by as much as a combined thickness of the initial layer and the functional layer.