Perpendicular magnetic recording medium and magnetic storage apparatus

1. A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising:

a nonmagnetic seed layer;

a nonmagnetic intermediate layer provided on the nonmagnetic seed layer; and

a perpendicular recording layer provided on the nonmagnetic intermediate layer,

wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer includes a first seed layer made of an amorphous material, and a second seed layer provided between the first seed layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer and made of a material having a fcc structure, and

the amorphous material includes at least one element selected from a group consisting of W, Mo, Zr and alloys thereof which include at least one of W, Mo and Zr as a main component exceeding 50 at. %.

2. A perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising:

a nonmagnetic seed layer;

a nonmagnetic intermediate layer provided on the nonmagnetic seed layer; and

a perpendicular recording layer provided on the nonmagnetic intermediate

wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer includes a first seed layer made of an amorphous material, and a second seed layer provided between the first seed layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer and made of a material having a fcc structure, and

the amorphous material includes at least one element selected from a group consisting of W, Mo, Zr and alloys thereof which include at least one of W, Mo and Zr as a main component exceeding 50 at. %,

wherein the second seed layer includes Ni as a main component and Zr or alloys thereof.

3. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second seed layer is made of a Ni alloy including Ni as the main component and a total of 20 at. % or less of the Zr or alloys thereof.

4. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first seed layer is made of a material selected from a group consisting of W and CrW, and the second seed layer is made of NiW.

5. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second seed layer is made of NiW.

6. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first seed layer has a thickness of 1 nm to 3 nm.

7. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first seed layer has a thickness of 1 nm to 2 nm.

8. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second seed layer has a thickness of 3 nm to 8 nm.

9. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second seed layer has a thickness of 3 nm to 6 nm.

10. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the nonmagnetic intermediate layer is made of Ru or an alloy having Ru as a main component.

11. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a substrate; and

a soft magnetic underlayer provided on the substrate,

wherein the soft magnetic underlayer is made of a crystalline or amorphous material including Co and Fe.

12. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the perpendicular recording layer includes one or more magnetic layers made of a granular magnetic material.

13. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the perpendicular recording layer includes a first magnetic layer made of a granular magnetic material and provided on the nonmagnetic intermediate layer, and a second magnetic layer provided on the first magnetic layer and having a magnetic anisotropy smaller than that of the first magnetic layer.

14. A magnetic storage apparatus comprising:

at least one magnetic recording medium; and

a tranducer configured to write information on the magnetic recording medium and/or read information from the magnetic recording medium,

wherein the magnetic recording medium employs a perpendicular magnetic recording technique and includes a nonmagnetic seed layer, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer provided on the nonmagnetic seed layer, and a perpendicular recording layer provided on the nonmagnetic intermediate layer,

wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer includes a first seed layer made of an amorphous material, and a second seed layer provided between the first seed layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer and made of a material having a fcc structure, and

the amorphous material includes at least one element selected from a group consisting of W, Mo, Zr and alloys thereof which include at least one of W, Mo and Zr as a main component exceeding 50 at. %.

15. A magnetic storage apparatus comprising:

at least one magnetic recording medium; and

a transducer configured to write information on the magnetic recording medium and/or read information from the magnetic recording medium,

wherein the magnetic recording medium employs a perpendicular magnetic recording technique and includes a nonmagnetic seed layer, a nonmagnetic intermediate layer provided on the nonmagnetic seed layer, and a perpendicular recording layer provided on the nonmagnetic intermediate layer

wherein the nonmagnetic seed layer includes a first seed layer made of an amorphous material, and a second seed layer provided between the first seed layer and the nonmagnetic intermediate layer and made of a material having a fcc structure, and

the amorphous material includes at least one element selected from a group consisting of W, Mo, Zr and alloys thereof which include at least one of W, Mo and Zr as a main component exceeding 50 at. %,

wherein the second seed layer of the magnetic recording medium includes Ni as a main component, and Zr or alloys thereof.

16. The magnetic storage apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the second seed layer of the magnetic recording medium is made of a Ni alloy including Ni as the main component and a total of 20 at. % or less of the Zr or alloys thereof.

17. The magnetic storage apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first seed layer of the magnetic recording medium has a thickness of 1 nm to 3 nm.

18. The magnetic storage apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the second seed layer of the magnetic recording medium has a thickness of 3 nm to 8 nm.