Patent ID: 7538041
Filing Date: 2009-05-26
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, the method comprising the steps of: forming a magnetic recording layer in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern on a substrate; forming a first non-magnetic layer on the concavo-convex pattern; forming an etching monitoring layer on the first non-magnetic layer; forming a second non-magnetic layer on the etching monitoring layer; and etching at least the second non-magnetic layer formed on the magnetic recording layer forming a convex portion of the concavo-convex pattern, wherein a concave portion of the concavo-convex pattern is filled with at least one kind or more of the non-magnetic layer formed in each step after the first non-magnetic layer forming step, the etching monitoring layer forming step, and the second non-magnetic layer forming step are carried out, and wherein the etching step is a step of substantially flattening a surface on the convex portion and the concave portion, and includes a step of adjusting to zero or decreasing an etching speed of the etching monitoring layer, an etching speed of the first non-magnetic layer, or an etching speed of the second non-magnetic layer when the second non-magnetic layer remains on the concave portion of the concavo-convex pattern after the etching monitoring layer provided on the magnetic recording layer forming the convex portion starts to be etched, and the first non-magnetic layer and the second non-magnetic layer are formed of a same material.