Methods for reducing the surface roughness of magnetic media to be used in storage drives are described. One such method includes forming a recording media on a substrate, the recording media including at least one recording layer configured to store information magnetically, depositing a first layer of carbon on the recording media, the first carbon layer having a first average preselected thickness, etching the first carbon layer to have a second average preselected thickness less than the first average preselected thickness, depositing a second layer of carbon on the etched first carbon layer, the second carbon layer having a third average preselected thickness that is less than the first average preselected thickness, and implanting nitrogen in the second carbon layer.