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To evaluate properties of an initial growth layer for CoCrPt-Si[O.sub.2] perpendicular recording media, an initial growth layer has been investigated by micromagnetic simulation with initial layer model. It was found that with the initial growth layer, the in-plane magnetization [M.sub.in] shows a small jump at 0-field, leading to an additional peak around 0-field in 4 [pi] d[M.sub.in]/dH curve. The (additional) peak height increases with the increase in inter- lower subgrain exchange areal energy densities [w.sub.i] and thickness of the initial layer and also decreases in the anisotropy energy for the initial layer. Considering the change of the average anisotropy energy as a function of the thickness of recording layer, [w.sub.i] for a CoCrPt-Si[O.sub.2] perpendicular recording medium with Ru/Ru-Si[O.sub.2] intermediate layer is in the range from 0.5 to 0.6 erg/[cm.sup.2] and roughly 30% smaller than those with a Ru intermediate layer. Index Terms--CoCrPt-Si[O.sub.2] perpendicular recording media, differentiation of the in-plane magnetization, initial layer model, micromagnetic simulation, Ru/Ru-Si[O.sub.2] intermediate layer.

CoB/Pd multilaycr films with a PtB/Pd/MgO intermediate layer were deposited on a soft-magnetic underlayer or on seeded substrates. A TEM analysis revealed that the multilayer films have a well-separated columnar structure just above an MgO layer. This structure may be initiated by the difference in the wetting nature of nonmetallic MgO and metallic Pd, and may be enhanced by the PtB layer. These boundaries were found to act in reducing the exchange coupling, resulting in an improvement in recording performance. Index Terms--CoB/Pd multilayer film, perpendicular magnetic recording, PtB/Pd/MgO intermediate layer.