A magnetic recording medium having excellent magnetic read/write characteristics
and thermal stability characteristics, and a method of manufacturing therefor,
and a magnetic read/write apparatus are provided. This magnetic recording medium
comprises an orientation control film 3 that controls the orientation of
a film provided directly thereabove, a perpendicular magnetic film 5, of
which the axis of easy magnetization is generally oriented perpendicular to a substrate,
and a protective film 6, that are provided on a non-magnetic substrate 1,
wherein the orientation control film 3 is made of a non-magnetic material
which contains 33 to 80 at % of Ni and one or more kinds of elements selected from
Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb and Ta.
