PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a patterned perpendicular magnetic recording medium which has an exchange coupling composite recording structure of an FePt layer and a Co/X multiple layer.SOLUTION: A bit-patterned medium (BPM) magnetic recording disk has a discrete data island including an exchange coupling composite (ECC) recording layer (RL). The recording layer (RL) comprises a lower layer of high-anisotropy FePt alloy having chemical regularity, an upper layer of a low-anisotropy Co/X laminate or multiple layer (ML) having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and a nonmagnetic isolation layer or coupling layer (CL) between the FePt layer and ML which is provided upon occasion. The FePt ally layer is deposited by sputtering on a seed layer structure, and a substrate of the disk is held at high temperature during the deposition so as to guarantee that high anisotropy magnetic field His obtained. The deposition at the high temperature provides a very smooth surface for subsequent deposition of ML in cooperation with a CrRu/Pt seed layer structure.