Abstract: A disc-shaped recording medium manufacturing method involves the use of electron beams for easily curing a resin layer composed of a resin material that is hard to be cured by irradiation of ultraviolet rays and capable of manufacturing a disc-shaped recording medium with a high yield without affecting a recording layer even by irradiating the electron beams. The disc-shaped recording medium manufacturing method of manufacturing the disc-shaped recording medium having a layer composed mainly of resin on a recording layer provided on a disc-shaped substrate, includes the steps of irradiating the layer composed mainly of the resin with electron beams of which an acceleration voltage is equal to or higher than 20 kV and is equal to or lower than 100 kV, and curing at least the surface of the layer composed mainly of the resin.

Abstract: A simple method for evaluating an optical information medium by judging quantitatively and reproducibly the surface quality of the optical information medium by the use of an artificial fingerprint liquid as an evaluation dispersion liquid, is provided. An optical information medium having a remarkably excellent anti-staining property of the surface which is on the incident side of recording/reproducing beam is provided. A method for evaluating an optical information medium, comprising: adhering an artificial fingerprint liquid containing a fine-particle-form substance and a dispersion medium capable of dispersing the fine-particle-form substance onto the surface of the optical information medium which is on the incident side of a recording/reproducing beam; observing the state of the artificial fingerprint liquid droplets adhered to the surface; and judging the quality of the medium surface.

Abstract: A simple method for evaluating an optical information medium by judging quantitatively and reproducibly the surface quality of the optical information medium by the use of an artificial fingerprint liquid as an evaluation dispersion liquid, is provided. An optical information medium having a remarkably excellent anti-staining property of the surface which is on the incident side of recording/reproducing beam is provided. A method for evaluating an optical information medium, comprising: adhering an artificial fingerprint liquid containing a fine-particle-form substance and a dispersion medium capable of dispersing the fine-particle-form substance onto the surface of the optical information medium which is on the incident side of a recording/reproducing beam; observing the state of the artificial fingerprint liquid droplets adhered to the surface; and judging the quality of the medium surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a simple method for evaluating an optical information medium by judging quantitatively and reproducibly the surface quality of the optical information medium by the use of a novel artificial fingerprint liquid as an evaluation dispersion liquid. A method for evaluating an optical information medium, comprising the steps of: adhering, under predetermined conditions, an evaluation dispersion liquid containing a fine-particle-form substance and a dispersion medium capable of dispersing the fine-particle-form substance onto the surface of the optical information medium which is on the incident side of a recording/reproducing beam; measuring an area ratio of the medium surface occupied with the evaluation dispersion liquid droplets adhered per unit area of the medium surface; and judging the optical information medium as an acceptable medium when the measured area ratio is 6% or less.

Abstract: An electron beam irradiation apparatus includes a turn-transfer mechanism; a turn-transfer chamber; an electron beam irradiation section; a replacement room configured to bring a target into and out of the turn-transfer chamber; an outer irradiation target holding table configured to form a part of the replacement room, and including an X-ray shielding mechanism, an airtightness maintaining mechanism, and a target holding mechanism; an inner irradiation target holding table, configured to form a part of the replacement room, and including an X-ray shielding mechanism, an airtightness maintaining mechanism, and a target holding mechanism, the inner irradiation target holding table being supported by the turn-transfer mechanism; a turning mechanism configured to turn the turn-transfer mechanism and an elevator mechanism configured to move the turn-transfer mechanism up and down; and a rotation mechanism disposed at the electron beam irradiation section and configured to rotate the target.

Abstract: An electron beam irradiation apparatus includes a turn-transfer mechanism; a turn irradiation chamber; an electron beam irradiation section; a replacement room configured to bring a target into and out of the turn irradiation chamber; an outer irradiation target holding table configured to form a part of the replacement room, and including an X-ray shielding mechanism, an airtightness maintaining mechanism, a target holding mechanism; an inner irradiation target holding table configured to form a part of the replacement room, and including an X-ray shielding mechanism, an airtightness maintaining mechanism, and a target holding mechanism, the inner irradiation target holding table being supported by the turn-transfer mechanism; a turning mechanism configured to drive the turn-transfer mechanism; and an elevator mechanism configured to move the turn-transfer mechanism, which supports the inner irradiation target holding table, up and down.

Abstract: Disclosed are an electron beam irradiation apparatus and an electron beam irradiation method that are capable of easily curing a material that is hard to be cured by irradiation of ultraviolet rays and of reducing the number of electron beam irradiation tubes. The electron beam irradiation apparatus has a motor for rotationally driving an irradiation target object, a shield container for rotatably accommodating the irradiation target object, and an electron beam irradiation unit provided in the shield container so that the surface of the irradiation target object is irradiated with electron beams, wherein the electron beam irradiation unit and the irradiation target object are relatively moved when the electron beam irradiation unit irradiates the surface of the irradiation target object with the electron beams during a rotation of the irradiation target object.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hard coat agent composition that is useful for forming a hard coat layer with excellent anti-staining properties and lubricity, as well as superior scratch resistance and abrasion resistance, on the surfaces of various articles. The present invention also provides an optical information medium using the above hard coat agent composition. A hard coat agent composition comprising a fluorine-containing block copolymer (A1), a fluorine-containing polyether compound (A2) comprising an active energy ray-reactive group, and an active energy ray-curable compound (B). An optical information medium comprising a film element composed of one or more layers including at least a recording layer (4) or a reflective layer, on a supporting substrate (20), wherein at least one of the supporting substrate (20)-side surface and the film element-side surface is formed of a hard coat layer (8) comprising a cured product of the hard coat agent composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides inexpensively an article with a hard coat excellent in anti-staining property, lubricity, scratch resistance and abrasion resistance. The present invention also provides a method for forming the hard coat.

Abstract: The present invention provides a low-cost artificial fingerprint liquid for quantitatively and with a good reproducibility evaluating an anti-staining property, and a fingerprint adhering property or a fingerprint removing property on the surface of an optical disk such as a reproduction-only optical disk, optical recording disk, magneto-optical recording disk, various displays such as a CRT, and various substances such as glass. An artificial fingerprint liquid comprising a fine-particle-form substance and a dispersion medium capable of dispersing the fine-particle-form substance. The dispersion medium preferably has a surface tension ranging from 20 to 50 mN/m at 25° C., and preferably is selected from at least one of higher fatty acid, derivative of higher fatty acid, terpens, and derivatives of terpens. The fine-particle-form substance is at least one selected from inorganic fine particles and organic fine particles.

Abstract: A method of testing an information recording medium includes a step of attaching an artificial fingerprint to an incident surface of an information recording medium, a step of reproducing a signal recorded in an attached region to which the artificial fingerprint has been attached, and a step of judging whether the information recording medium is defective or non-defective based on a signal quality of the reproduced signal. An information recording medium testing apparatus includes a fingerprint attaching unit that attaches an artificial fingerprint onto an incident surface of an information recording medium, a signal reproducing unit that reproduces a signal recorded in an attached region to which the artificial fingerprint has been attached, and a judging unit that judges whether the information recording medium is defective or non-defective based on a signal quality of the reproduced signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides inexpensively an article with a hard coat excellent in anti-staining property, lubricity, scratch resistance and abrasion resistance. The present invention also provides a method for forming the hard coat. A hard coat agent composition comprising an active energy ray-curable compound is applied onto a surface of an article (1) to be hard-coat-treated, thereby forming a hard coat agent composition layer, a surface material layer is formed by film-forming with a surface material comprising a fluorine-containing polyfunctional(meth)acrylate compound on the surface of the hard coat agent composition layer, and active energy rays are irradiated onto the formed hard coat agent composition layer and surface material layer so as to cure the both layers simultaneously, thereby forming a hard coat layer (2) contacting the surface of the article (1) and an anti-staining surface layer (3) contacting the surface of the hard coat layer (2).

Abstract: The present invention provides inexpensively an article with a hard coat excellent in anti-staining property, lubricity, scratch resistance and abrasion resistance. The present invention also provides a method for forming the hard coat.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical information medium in which the recording and/or reproducing beam incident side surface displays excellent anti-staining properties and lubricity, as well as superior scratch resistance and abrasion resistance. An optical information medium comprising a film element composed of one or more layers including at least a recording layer (4) or a reflective layer, on a supporting substrate (20), wherein at least one of the supporting substrate (20)-side surface and the film element-side surface is formed of a hard coat layer (8) comprising a cured product of the hard coat agent composition comprising a fluorine-containing block copolymer (A) and an active energy ray-curable compound (B).

Abstract: The present invention provides inexpensively an article with a hard coat excellent in anti-staining property, lubricity, scratch resistance and abrasion resistance. The present invention provides a method for forming the hard coat. A hard coat agent composition comprising an active energy ray-curable compound is applied onto a surface of an article 1 to be hard-coat-treated, thereby forming a hard coat agent composition layer, a surface material layer is formed by film-forming with a surface layer material comprising an active energy ray-curable compound having anti-staining property and/or lubricating property on the surface of the hard coat agent composition layer, and active energy rays are irradiated onto the formed hard coat agent composition layer and surface material layer so as to cure the two layers simultaneously, thereby forming a hard coat layer 2 contacting the surface of the article 1 and an anti-staining surface layer 3 contacting the surface of the hard coat layer 2.

Abstract: The present invention provides inexpensively an article with a hard coat excellent in anti-staining property, lubricity, scratch resistance and abrasion resistance. The present invention also provides a method for forming the hard coat.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical information medium that is less susceptible to warp in the disk surface while offering significantly high scratch resistance and abrasion resistance, and a method for producing the optical information medium. An optical information medium (1) comprising a supporting substrate (2) and a film element, the film element disposed on the supporting substrate (2) and composed of one or more layers including at least a recording layer (5) or a reflective layer (3), wherein at least one of the supporting substrate-side surface and the film element-side surface is formed of a hard coat layer (9) of a cured product of a composition comprising (A) inorganic fine particles with an average particle size of 100 nm or less, (B) a reactive silicone, and (C) an active energy ray-curable compound.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hard coat agent composition that is useful for forming a hard coat layer with excellent anti-staining properties and lubricity, as well as superior scratch resistance and abrasion resistance, on the surfaces of various articles. The present invention also provides an optical information medium using the above hard coat agent composition. A hard coat agent composition comprising a fluorine-containing polyether compound (A) comprising an active energy ray-reactive group, and a curable compound (B) comprising two, or three or more active energy ray-polymerizable groups within each molecule. An optical information medium comprising a film element composed of one or more layers including at least a recording layer (4) or a reflective layer, on a supporting substrate (20), wherein at least one of the supporting substrate (20)-side surface and the film element-side surface is formed of a hard coat layer (8) comprising a cured product of the hard coat agent composition.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical recording disk, with which the worsening of jitter can be prevented effectively even when fingerprints become adhered onto a laser light incidence surface. An optical recording disk 10 comprises a substrate 2, a recording layer 5, formed on the substrate, a light transmitting layer 7, formed on the recording layer, and a hard coat layer 8, formed on the light transmitting layer, and is characterized in that, when an operation of adhering an artificial fingerprint solution onto the optical recording disk's light incidence surface, onto which laser light is made incident, is performed and then an operation of wiping off the artificial fingerprint solution that has been adhered onto the light incidence surface is repeated five times, jitter becomes no more than 1.15 times that prior to the adhesion of the artificial fingerprint solution.

Abstract: The present invention provides a low-cost artificial fingerprint liquid for quantitatively and with a good reproducibility evaluating an anti-staining property, and a fingerprint adhering property or a fingerprint removing property on the surface of an optical disk such as a reproduction-only optical disk, optical recording disk, magneto-optical recording disk, various displays such as a CRT, and various substances such as glass. An artificial fingerprint liquid comprising a fine-particle-form substance and a dispersion medium capable of dispersing the fine-particle-form substance. The dispersion medium preferably has a surface tension ranging from 20 to 50 mN/m at 25° C., and preferably is selected from at least one of higher fatty acid, derivative of higher fatty acid, terpens, and derivatives of terpens. The fine-particle-form substance is at least one selected from inorganic fine particles and organic fine particles.