Patent ID: 7099097

Claim:
A thermally assisted magnetic recording method for a magnetic recording medium comprising a recording magnetic film which includes a recording area and a recording prohibition area adjacent to each other, the method comprising: locally heating the recording magnetic film located inside the recording area with heating means, while moving the heating means relative to and in opposition to the recording magnetic film; stopping the heating with the heating means as a zone in the recording magnetic film that faces the heating means transitions from the recording area to the recording prohibition area; recording a signal by applying locally a recording magnetic field to the recording magnetic film located inside the recording area with a magnetic field applier, while moving the magnetic field applier relative to and in opposition to the recording magnetic film in association with the heating means; and stopping the application of the recording magnetic field after stopping the heating, as the zone in the recording magnetic film that faces the magnetic field applier transitions from the recording area to the recording prohibition area.