Patent ID: 8551349

Claim:
A method for producing a magnetic recording medium having a magnetically partitioned magnetic recording pattern on at least one surface of a nonmagnetic substrate, characterized by comprising the following nine steps (A1) through (G1) carried out in this order: (A1) a step of forming, on at least one surface of a non-magnetic substrate, a magnetic layer having a granular structure comprised of magnetic particles surrounded by an oxide, (A2) a step of forming a magnetic layer having a non-granular structure on the magnetic layer having a granular structure, (B1) a step of forming a mask layer on the magnetic layer having a non-granular structure, (C1) a step of forming a resist layer on the mask layer, (D1) a step of forming a negative pattern of the magnetic recording pattern on the resist layer, (E1) a step of removing regions of the mask layer corresponding to the negative pattern of the magnetic recording pattern, (E2) a step of removing regions of the magnetic layer having a non-granular structure corresponding to the negative pattern of the magnetic recording pattern, (E3) a step of removing surface layer portions having a thickness in the range of 0.1 nm to 15 nm in the exposed regions of the magnetic layer having the granular structure which have been exposed by the step (E2), (F1) a step of contacting the exposed regions of the magnetic layer having the granular structure, which have been exposed by the removal of the surface layer portions of the magnetic layer in step (E3), with ozone whereby the magnetic layer having the granular structure is reacted with ozone to modify the magnetic properties in the exposed regions of the magnetic layer having the granular structure, and (G1) a step of removing the residual mask layer, or the residual mask layer and resist layer.