Perpendicular magnetic recording media samples were prepared by sputter deposition on sapphire with a layer sequence of MgO seed-layer/Cr under-layer/FeSi soft magnetic under-layer/MgO intermediate layer/FePt-oxide recording layer. The effects of MgO, Al2O3 and SiO2 additives on the morphology and orientation of the FePt layer were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The samples exhibited (001) orientation of the L1(0) FePt phase with the mutual orientations of sapphire substrate//MgO(100)[0011//Cr(100)[1 (1) over bar0]//FeSi(100)[1 (1) over bar0]//MgO(100)[001]H FePt(001)[100]. The morphology of the FePt films varied due to the co-deposited oxides: The FePt layers were continuous and segmented by stacking faults aligned at 54 degrees to the surface. Films with SiO2 addition, beside the oriented columnar FePt grains, exhibited a fraction of misoriented crystallites due to random repeated nucleation. Al2O3 addition resulted in a layered structure, i.e. an initial continuous epitaxial FePt layer covered by a secondary layer of FePt-Al2O3 composite. Both components (FePt and MgO) of the MgO-added samples were grown epitaxially on the MgO intermediate layer, so that a nano-composite of intercalated (001) FePt and (001) MgO was formed. The revealed microstructures and formation mechanisms may facilitate the improvement of the structural and magnetic properties of the FePt-oxide composite perpendicular magnetic recording media. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.