Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information recording and reproducing device includes a stacked body. The stacked body includes a first layer, a second layer and a recording layer provided between the first layer and the second layer. The recording layer includes a phase-change material and a crystal nucleus. The phase-change material is capable of reversely changing between a crystal state and an amorphous state by a current supplied via the first layer and the second layer. The crystal nucleus is provided in contact with the phase-change material and includes a crystal nucleus material having a crystal structure identical to a crystal structure of the crystal state of the phase-change material, and a crystal nucleus coating provided on a surface of the crystal nucleus material and having a composition different from a composition of the crystal nucleus material.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information recording and reproducing device includes a recording layer which includes a typical element and a transition element, and stores a state of a first electric resistivity and a state of a second electric resistivity different from the first electric resistivity by a movement of the typical element, and an electrode layer which is disposed at one end of the recording layer to apply a voltage or a current to the recording layer. The recording layer includes a first region which is in contact with the electrode layer and the electrode layer includes a second region which is in contact with the recording layer. The first and second regions are opposite to each other. And the first and second regions include the typical element, and a concentration of the typical element in the first region is higher than that in the second region.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information recording and reproducing device includes a first layer, a second layer and a recording layer. The recording layer is provided between the first layer and the second layer and being capable of reversibly changing between a first state having a first resistance and a second state having a second resistance higher than the first resistance. The recording layer includes a first compound layer and a second compound layer. The first compound layer contains a first compound. The first compound includes a first cation element and a second cation element of a type different from the first cation element. The second compound layer contains a second compound. The second compound includes a transition element having a d-orbital partially filled with electron, and the second compound includes a void site capable of storing at least one of the first cation element and the second cation element.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information recording and reproducing device includes a first layer, a second layer and a recording layer. The recording layer is provided between the first and second layers and is capable of reversibly transitioning between a first state and a second state with a resistance higher than in the first state. One of the first and second layers includes a resistivity distribution layer perpendicular to a stacking direction of the first and second layers, and the recording layer. The resistivity distribution layer includes a low and a high resistivity portion. Resistivity of the high resistivity portion is higher than resistivity of the low resistivity portion. The low resistivity portion contains a transition element identical to a transition element contained in the high resistivity portion.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information recording and reproducing device includes a first layer, a second layer and a recording layer. The recording layer is provided between the first layer and the second layer and being capable of reversibly changing between a first state having a first resistance and a second state having a second resistance higher than the first resistance by a current supplied via the first layer and the second layer. The recording layer includes a first compound layer and an insulating layer. The first compound layer contains a first compound. The first compound includes a first cation element and a second cation element of a type different from the first cation element. The insulating layer contains a third compound, and the third compound includes an element selected from group 1 to 4 elements and group 12 to 17 elements in the periodic table.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a variable resistance layer includes a mixture of a first compound and a second compound. The first compound includes carbon (C) as well as at least one element selected from a group of elements G1. The group of elements G1 consists of hydrogen (H), boron (B), nitrogen (N), silicon (Si), and titanium (Ti). The second compound includes at least one compound selected from a group of compounds G2. The group of compounds G2 consists of silicon oxide (SiO2), silicon oxynitride (SiON), silicon nitride (Si3N4), carbon nitride (C3N4), boron nitride (BN), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and silicon carbide (SiC). Concentration of the first compound in the variable resistance layer is not less than 30 volume percent, and not more than 70 volume percent.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, in a phase change optical disk which has a substrate and a multi-layered including an interference film, phase change recording film, interface film, and reflecting film, and in which information is reversibly recorded in or erased from the recording film by using light, an element (e.g., Ge or Te) forming the phase change recording film has segregation or a concentration distribution in the thickness direction of the recording film from a portion in contact with the phase change recording film.

Abstract: This nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array including memory cells arranged therein. Each of the memory cells is located at respective intersections between first wirings and second wirings and includes a variable resistance element. The variable resistance element comprises a thin film including carbon (C). The thin film includes a side surface along a direction of a current flowing in the memory cell. The side surface includes carbon nitride (CNx).

Abstract: A phase-change optical recording medium has a recording film that brings about reversible phase-change between a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase upon irradiation with light and an interface film formed in contact with at least one surface of the recording film and comprising hafnium (Hf), silicon (Si), oxygen (O) and carbon (C).

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory using carbon related films as variable resistance films includes bottom electrodes formed above a substrate, buffer layers formed on the bottom electrodes and each formed of a film containing nitrogen and containing carbon as a main component, variable resistance films formed on the buffer layers and each formed of a film containing carbon as a main component and the electrical resistivity thereof being changed according to application of voltage or supply of current, and top electrodes formed on the variable resistance films.

Abstract: In a single-sided, recordable/rewritable phase change optical recording medium having one or more layers, an interface layer adjacent to a phase change optical recording film contains at least Zr (zirconium), O (oxygen), and N (nitrogen), and further contains one or both of Y (yttrium) and Nb (niobium).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical recording media including two or more information layers, at least one of the information layers including a writable recording film. In the optical recording media, at least one information layer has protrusions and recesses that permit tracking and at least another one information layer is substantially flat.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, in an information recording medium for which a phase change material is used and in which information is recorded on, reproduced from, and erased from a recording layer by light irradiation, a recrystallization width WR at a periphery of an amorphous recording mark formed on the recording layer by light irradiation, and a recording mark width WA and a track pitch TP satisfy 1.0<WR/WA<1.1 and 2/3<WA/TP<4/3.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an optical recording medium according to one embodiment of the invention is an optical recording medium to be processed using a light beam having a wavelength ? and a lens having a numerical aperture NA, which includes one of a track and a pit array, and in which a width TP of the track or pit satisfies a condition 0.480?TP×NA/?<1.026.

Abstract: An optical recording media has a disc substrate and two or more recording layers arranged apart from each other with a dielectric layer interposed therebetween to cause optical change simultaneously by irradiation with light, in which a first recording layer positioned near the disc substrate has a higher optical change temperature and a higher extinction coefficient compared with those of a second recording layer and a later recording layer.

Abstract: A Phase-change optical recording media includes a recording film that causes reversible phase-change between a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase on irradiation with light, and an interface film formed in contact with at least one surface of the recording film and containing Hf (hafnium), O (oxygen) and N (nitrogen).

Abstract: A sputtering target contains Si and C as its major components and includes a texture in which a Si phase continuously exists in a net shape in gaps among SiC crystal grains. An average diameter of the Si phase is controlled to 1000 nm or less. The sputtering target is sputtered in an oxygen-containing gas, thereby depositing an optical thin film containing Si and O as its major components, and a third element other than the major components, a total amount of the third element being within a range from 10 to 2000 ppm.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical recording medium including a first substrate, a first adjusting layer, an organic recording layer, a second adjusting layer and a second substrate, sequentially stacked in the mentioned order. The first and second substrates have a refractive index of n1. The organic recording layer has a refractive index of n2. The first and second adjusting layers have a thickness of k and a refractive index distribution in a range of ns from a minimum value on sides contacting with the organic recording layer to a maximum value on sides contacting respectively with the first and second substrates. ns satisfies n2?ns?n1, and k satisfies 5?k?200 nm.

Abstract: A phase-change optical recording medium has a first information layer including a phase-change optical recording film arranged in a position close to the light incident side, a second information layer including another phase-change optical recording film arranged in a position remote from the light incident side and an interlayer separating film arranged between the first information layer and the second information layer, in which at least one of the first information layer and the second information layer includes a noise reduction film in contact with the interlayer separating film. The noise reduction film is formed of SiOx (1?x?2) or SiOC.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is disclosed an information recording medium which includes a first information layer formed on a transparent substrate having tracks of a concentric or spiral shape, and a second information layer formed on the first information layer, and allows optical recording and playback from one surface, and in which eccentricity amounts of the tracks of the information layers fall within the range from 0 to 70 ?m.