Patent ID: 8043516

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, comprising: forming protruded magnetic patterns on a substrate; depositing a nonmagnetic material in recesses between the magnetic patterns and on the magnetic patterns, the nonmagnetic material being at least one selected from the group consisting of SiC, SiC—C, SiOC, SiON, Si 3 N 4 and Al; and etching back the nonmagnetic material using an etching gas of Ar—O 2 mixed gas having an oxygen concentration in a range of 1% or more and 70% or less while reforming a surface of the nonmagnetic material; wherein deposition of the nonmagnetic material and etch-back of the nonmagnetic material are repeated multiple times to form a multi-layered nonmagnetic material in the recesses between the magnetic patterns.