Patent ID: 8603649

Claim:
A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic recording layer having a granular structure composed of crystal grains containing cobalt (Co) and grown in a columnar shape and a grain boundary portion comprising a nonmagnetic substance and formed between the crystal grains, and a continuous layer formed adjacently on the magnetic recording layer and comprising a thin film magnetically continuous in a film plane direction, wherein: the continuous layer contains cobalt, chromium (Cr), and platinum (Pt); the continuous layer has a chromium content increased towards the magnetic recording layer; and the continuous layer comprises two layers including a lower layer and an upper layer, the lower layer having a chromium content of 18 to 20 at %, the upper layer having a chromium content of 15 to 18 at %, the upper layer having a lower chromium content than the lower layer, the upper layer having a higher saturation magnetization than the lower layer, and the lower layer having a thickness greater than 0 and not greater than 3 nm.