The ensuing paper summarizes an investigation on the effect of target microstructural morphology on resultant sputter deposited media magnetic performance. Significant differences in media magnetic coercivity were obtained from Co–Cr–Pt–Ta targets possessing the same chemistry, sputtered under identical conditions, but possessing different microstructural phase and crystallographic texture characteristics. This result was most likely caused by the difference in sputter yields for the Ta-containing phases in the two distinct target microstructures. Results support enhanced chromium segregation yielding a decrease in the intergranuler exchange energy field for the deposited thin films.