Abstract: This invention allows super-resolution reproduction with which a better bER value is attainable, when information is recorded by a random pattern including a mark length not longer than a resolution limit, by use of a highly versatile signal decoding method. Information is recorded as marks and spaces coded by RLL(1, 7) modulation, which each of the marks and spaces have one of a plurality of lengths, and 2T marks and 2T spaces of the marks and spaces being formed are shorter than 0.12 ?m. An information recording layer (20) includes a reproduction film (21) and a reflective film (22) which are provided in this order from a side from which reproducing light is incident, which reproduction film is made of (i) zinc oxide, (ii) strontium titanate, (iii) titanium oxide, (iv) cerium oxide, or (v) a material including at least one of the (i) through (iv), and which reflective film is made of tantalum or titanium.

Abstract: There are provided a molded object, a method of producing the same, a sealed molded object, a polymer, and an optical information recording medium, in each of which curing may be achieved at around room temperature in a short time without addition of an accelerator, and volumetric shrinkage accompanying the curing may be suppressed. The molded object is obtained by curing a curable composition containing a silicon analogue having one or more epoxy groups and an ?-hydroxy acid.

Abstract: An inorganic resist layer made of an incomplete oxide of a transition metal is formed as a film onto a substrate by a sputtering method. A single element or alloy of the transition metal, or an oxide of them is used as a target material. Oxygen or nitrogen is used as a reactive gas. Oxygen concentration of the inorganic resist layer is made different in the thickness direction by changing a reactive gas ratio or a film forming power. A master disc (for an optical disc) in which fine concave/convex patterns such as pits, grooves, and the like have been formed by exposing and developing the inorganic resist layer is formed. Since sensitivity rises with an increase in oxygen concentration, the sensitivity can be made different in the thickness direction of the inorganic resist layer and the concave/convex shapes of different depths can be formed on the same disc.

Abstract: An information recording medium (100) of the present invention is an information recording medium that allows information to be recorded thereon by being irradiated with an optical beam or by being applied with electrical energy, and includes at least a recording layer (115) whose phase can change. The recording layer (115) contains antimony (Sb), carbon (C), and a light element (L) having an atomic weight of less than 33. The light element (L) preferably is at least one element selected from B, N, O, Mg, Al, and S. For example, the recording layer (115) may be composed of a material represented by a composition Sb100-x-yCxLy, where the subscripts 100-x-y, x, and y denote composition ratios of Sb, C, and the L in atomic percentage, respectively, and x and y satisfy x+y?50.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a trimethine cyanine represented by the formula (1): wherein each of the symbols are defined in the specification. The present invention also relates to a use of the above dimeric trimethine cyanine compound as a dye, which is used in an optic element, particularly a high density recordable optical media.

Abstract: A solvent-free photocurable resin composition is provided which can be applied to the surface of optical discs or the like to form a highly transparent protective film that can stably adhere to the surface and effectively protect the surface from scratches. The solvent-free photocurable resin composition contains a urethane(meth)acrylate oligomer, a trifunctional (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer, a photopolymerization initiator, and a dilution monomer. The dilution monomer contains a fluorine-based (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer having three or more fluorine atoms and a monofunctional or difunctional (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer in amounts of from 10 to 40 wt% and from 10 to 30 wt%, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention provides a write-once-read-many optical recording medium comprising a substrate, a recording layer comprising any one of bismuth and an oxide of bismuth, an overcoat layer and a reflective layer in this order from a laser beam incident plane, wherein the write-once-read-many optical recording medium has a reflectivity of 35% or less when a laser is applied to the flat part of the substrate or a write-once-read-many optical recording medium comprising a substrate, an undercoat layer, a recording layer comprising any one of bismuth and an oxide of bismuth, an overcoat layer and a reflective layer in this order from a laser beam incident plane, wherein the write-once-read-many optical recording medium has a reflectivity of 35% or less when a laser is applied to the flat part of the substrate.

Abstract: A hybrid data disc, method and system of forming the disc are disclosed. The hybrid disc includes a first substrate structure bonded to a second substrate structure, and at least two data layers of different formats for access from different sides of the disc. One example provides the second substrate structure with a second substrate that has at least one curable material layer on each side of the second substrate, and the curable material has a property that results in shrinkage associated with curing of the material. Other examples provide a data disc with different stacking ring configurations, a thinner substrate and substrate structures of opposite curvature.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium (9) of the present invention is an optical information recording medium including: N information layers, where N is a natural number of 2 or more; and an intermediate layer for separating the N information layers optically from each other. With the N information layers being referred to as a first information layer (10) to an N-th information layer (7) sequentially from an optical beam incident side, a first information layer (10) corresponding to an L-th information layer included in the N information layers includes a recording layer (104) on which information can be recorded by irradiation with an optical beam, a reflective layer (108), and a transmittance adjusting layer (109) in this order from the optical beam incident side, where L is an at least one natural number that satisfies 1?L?N?1. The transmittance adjusting layer (109) contains tungsten (W) and oxygen (O).

Abstract: The invention is principally to provide an archival optical recording medium of high quality which has satisfactory recording/reading characteristics when used in high-speed recording and high-density recording. The invention accomplishes the object with an optical recording medium comprising a resin substrate, a recording layer comprising an organic dye, and a reflective layer, wherein the reflective layer has a first reflective layer and a second reflective layer in this order from the side close to the recording layer, the second reflective layer has a thermal conductivity lower than the thermal conductivity of the first reflective layer, and the first reflective layer has a film thickness larger than the thickness of the second reflective layer.

Abstract: A write-once-read-many optical recording medium is disclosed that includes a support substrate; a recording layer on the support substrate, the recording layer containing an oxide of one of a metal and a metalloid as a principal component; and a layer adjacent to the recording layer. The recording layer includes a region where a constituent element of the adjacent layer is dispersed. Recording and reproduction are performable with laser light of a blue wavelength region.

Abstract: In forming a space layer of a multi-formation-layer recording medium, there are provided a medium having a high precision in a thickness of the space layer and its manufacturing process. In the multi-formation-layer recording medium wherein at least two pairs of an information recording layer and a translucency spacer are layered on a substrate having physical patterns composed of an optical spot groove and/or pits on the surface, an average thickness of the translucency spacers in an information zone is 15 ?m or less, and a difference in spacer thickness between a minimum value and a maximum value is 2 ?m or less.

Abstract: This disclosure describes optical media that is compatible with conventional DVD drives. Unlike conventional DVDs, however, the described media uses a lower cost, lower quality material for one of the substrates. In particular, a so-called “dummy” substrate may comprise a non-optical grade polymeric material. In some cases, the dummy substrate may include post-consumer recycled materials, such as recycled polycarbonate. In other cases, dummy substrate may comprise a low cost non-optical grade polycarbonate, such as an industrial grade polycarbonate. In still other cases, the dummy substrate may comprise a polycarbonate blend, or other non-polycarbonate materials.

Abstract: Provided are: a molding material for a Blu-ray Disc substrate or an HD DVD substrates which is reduced in the occurrence of appearance failures and can realize a stable yield; and a method of producing the molding material. The molding material for a Blu-ray Disc substrate or an HD DVD substrate includes: an aromatic PC resin produced by an interfacial method (A); 150 to 350 ppm (in terms of mass ppm of a total amount of the molding material, the same applies hereinafter) of fatty acid monoglyceride having 14 to 30 carbon atoms (B); 10 to 150 ppm of PETS (C); and 30 to 120 ppm of antioxidant (D). The method of producing the molding material includes: introducing the component (A) into an extruder together with, with respect to the amount of the component (A), 150 to 350 ppm of fatty acid monoglyceride having 14 to 30 carbon atoms (B), 10 to 150 ppm of PETS (C), 30 to 120 ppm of antioxidant (D), and 500 to 1,000 ppm of water (E) having an electrical conductivity of 1 ?S/cm or less at 25° C.

Abstract: An information recording medium is provided that has high recording sensitivity and high erasability, even when a recording layer thereof is as thin as about 3 nm. An information recording medium 15 on which information can be recorded by applying light or electrical energy has at least a recording layer 104 that undergoes phase change, while the recording layer 104 contains at least one element selected from among Zn, Si and C, and Sb in total proportion of 85 atomic % or more and has a composition preferably represented by the formula Sb100-a1M1a1 (atomic %) (wherein M1 represents at least one element selected from among Zn, Si and C, and a1 is a proportion in terms of atomic % that satisfies a relationship of 0<a1?50).

Abstract: An information recording medium ensuring high recording and erase function and excellent archival characteristic at a high linear velocity and over a wide range of linear velocities is provided. Such a medium is obtained by constructing a recording layer which has a composition that can generate phase change as a whole, of a first through an M-th constituent layers (wherein M is an integer of 2 or greater) which are stacked in a thickness direction, such that elemental compositions of contiguous an m-th constituent layer and a (m+1)th constituent layer are different from each other (wherein m is an integer and satisfies 1?m?M) assuming that the constituent layer located at an m-th position from a laser light incident side is the m-th constituent layer. In this information recording medium, at least one m-th constituent layer constituting the recording layer preferably includes at least one element selected from Te, Bi, Sb, Ge, In, Ga, Al, Sn, Pb, Se and Si.

Abstract: Provided is an optical recording medium comprising a substrate and a reflective layer, a first dielectric layer, a recording layer, a second dielectric layer and a light-transmission layer formed in this order on the substrate. The recording layer is decomposable by heat at a time of recording to achieve recording of the optical recording medium, and the optical recording medium further comprises a third dielectric layer between the second dielectric layer and the light-transmission layer.

Abstract: Shape-wise thicknesses tr1, tr2, . . . , and trN of a cover layer and first through (N?1)-th intermediate layers of an optical recording medium having refractive indexes nr1, nr2, . . . , and nrN are converted into thicknesses t1, t2, . . . , and tN which are calculated by products of a function f(n)=?1.088n3+6.1027n2?12.042n+9.1007 where n=nr1, nr2, . . . , and nrN.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a write-once optical record carrier for high speed recording, in particular to a DVD+R disc. Such a record carrier comprises in general at least a substrate layer (3), a recording layer (2) of an organic dye material on top of the substrate layer (3) and a metal reflective layer (1) on top of the recording layer (2). In order to obtain a less steep temperature gradient at the interface between the recording layer (2) and the reflective layer (1) and thus to prevent mechanical stress leading to a delamination problem it is proposed to reduce the thickness of the metal reflective layer (1) to a range below 75 nm. A dielectric layer of a thickness below 50 nm between the recording layer (2) and the metal reflective layer (1) is also enclosed.

Abstract: An optical disk manufacturing apparatus which employs first and second signal layer forming mechanisms, a reflection layer forming mechanism, a light transmission layer forming mechanism and first, second and third transportation mechanisms. The apparatus further includes a liquid material supplying mechanism, a first and second rotation mechanism, first and second hardening light radiation apparatuses, a ring-shaped mask portion, and a mask transfer mechanism.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to optical media and the formation and use of such media. In certain embodiments the optical media or a composition suitable for such media includes a polymeric matrix or substrate. A dye, such as an energy transfer dye is chemically appended to the polymeric matrix or substrate, such as by one or more covalent bonds.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium of the present invention, a reproduction method using the optical information recording medium, and an optical information processing device using the optical information recording medium, each of which optically reproduces recorded information by irradiating a light beam, include: a substrate on which a bumpy pit and/or groove corresponding to the recorded information or a recording layer is formed; and a temperature responsive layer whose optical property (transmissivity) in a wavelength of the light beam varies in response to temperature rise caused by irradiation of the light beam. The optical information recording medium can surely reproduce information, which has been recorded in a high density manner, with high accuracy.

Abstract: To provide an optical recording medium including a substrate and over the substrate at least a recording layer that can record and reproduce with laser light in a blue wavelength region, wherein the recording layer includes Bi and O as main components, further includes at least any of C and N, and does not include Fe; or an optical recording medium including a substrate and over the substrate at least a recording layer that contains, as main components, Bi oxide, and a simple substance of each of one or more elements M (except Bi, C, and N) that enhance a light absorption function for a recording and reproducing laser light, wherein the optical recording medium can record and reproduce with laser light in a blue wavelength region, is provided.

Abstract: To provide a sputtering target for preparing a recordable optical recording medium characterized by comprising Bi and B and a manufacturing method thereof, a recordable high density optical recording medium using the sputtering target, and a sputtering target which is capable of improving a speed of the film formation for the improvement of productivity, which has a high intensity at the time of the film formation and which has a heightened packing density.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided. The optical recording medium includes a first recording layer and a second recording layer. The second recording layer includes a compound in the form of (CuXM(1-X))YO(1-Y), where M is one of Sn, Si, Zn, Al, Mg, Ge, Sb or Te, and X is approximately 0.5 to 1, and Y is approximately 0.001 to 0.1.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium has at least an optical reflective layer, an optical recording layer, an protective layer, and an optical transparency layer formed in that order on the main surface of a disc-shaped substrate. An area in which the protective layer is formed is made wider than an area in which the reflective layer is formed, and made narrower than an area in which the optical transparency layer is formed.

Abstract: The instant disclosure relates to an ink jet printable optical recording medium including a substrate having opposing surfaces, namely a recording surface and a printing surface. The printing surface of the substrate is coated with an adhesion promotion layer which includes polyurethane, a high surface area inorganic pigment having a surface area of at least 100 m2/g, and a low surface area inorganic pigment having a surface area of at most 50 m2/g. The adhesion promotion layer is coated with an ink receptive coating.

Abstract: A write-once type optical recording medium 10 has an inorganic recording film 2. The inorganic recording film 2 has an oxide film 2a containing an oxide of germanium (Ge) and an adjacent film 2b which contains titanium (Ti) and manganese (Mn) and is adjacent to the oxide film 2a.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided. The optical recording medium includes a first recording layer and a second recording layer. The first recording layer includes a compound in the form of M(1?X)OX, where M is one of Si, Zn or Sn, and X is approximately 0.001 to 0.1.

Abstract: The invention is able to enhance a recording speed. In the invention, a recording mark (RM) composed of a cavity is formed by vaporizing a two-photon absorbing material by a two-photon absorption reaction as an embodiment of a photoreaction against a recording light beam (L1) as recording light to be condensed at the time of recording information. Also, in a recording layer (101), the information is reproduced on the basis of a return light beam (L3) formed by modulation of a readout light beam (L2) irradiated as prescribed readout light at the time of reproducing inform in conformity with the presence of absence of the recording mark (RM).

Abstract: Provided is an extremely high-density optical recording medium with excellent jitter characteristics and good recording/reproducing characteristics. An optical recording medium 20 comprises a substrate 21 with a guide groove formed therein, a layer 23 with a light reflection function, a recording layer 22 comprising a dye as a main component with a light absorption function for a wavelength of recording/reproducing light in an unrecorded state, and a cover layer 24 capable of transmitting the recording/reproducing light incident to the recording layer 22, in the order mentioned; an interlayer 30 containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, V, W, Mo, Cr and Ti, is provided between the layer 23 with the light reflection function and the recording layer 22.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical disc comprises the steps of: (1) forming a substrate including an inner supporting section and an outer information recording section, the inner supporting section having a thickness larger than that of the outer information recording section; and (2) forming a vibration suppressing layer by printing UV curable paste three to five times over the surface of the non-recording side of the outer information recording section from an inner edge of the outer information recording section to a designated diameter, wherein the printed UV curable paste has a weight of 15% to 25% of the weight of the substrate, and at least 90% of the weight of the printed UV curable paste is distributed within a circular region with diameter 90 mm to 110 mm, each time the UV curable paste printed not exceeding 5% of the weight of the substrate.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium, recording/reproducing method thereof, and recording/reproducing apparatus with superior signal quality for high-density recording that has high storage reliability is provided. The optical information recording medium has at least one information layer having a recording layer and a dielectric layer in order on a transparent substrate. The dielectric layer is comprised of greater than or equal to 50 molecule percent and less than or equal to 98 molecule percent of Zn—O, and greater than or equal to 2 molecule percent to less than or equal to 50 molecule percent of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of Y—O, Ce—O, Nb—O, Ta—O, Cr—O and Mo—O.

Abstract: An information recording medium (100) is provided with at least a first recording layer (101), which accepts a first laser beam having a first wavelength, can display a visible display pattern (pit art), and has a first pit formed thereon for reading information; and a second recording layer (102), which accepts a second laser beam having a second wavelength and can record second information by forming a second pit.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a support substrate, and a semi-transmissive recording layer including a first dielectric layer, a semi-transmissive semi-reflective layer, a second dielectric layer, a phase-change recording material layer, and a third dielectric layer which are laminated in that order from the support substrate side. The semi-transmissive semi-reflective layer is composed of silver, and the first dielectric layer includes a composite oxide layer using niobium oxide.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a support substrate and a semi-transmissive recording layer. The semi-transmissive recording layer includes a first dielectric layer, a semi-transmissive semi-reflective layer, a second dielectric layer, a phase change recording material layer, and a third dielectric layer that are sequentially stacked in that order on the support substrate. The semi-transmissive semi-reflective layer contains silver. The second dielectric layer has a stack structure including a lower layer disposed at the interface on the semi-transmissive semi-reflective layer side and an upper layer disposed on the phase change recording material layer side of the lower layer. The lower layer is composed of indium oxide or a composite oxide of indium oxide and tin oxide. The upper layer is composed of tantalum oxide, gallium oxide, zirconium oxide, or niobium oxide.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a sputtering target for making an optical medium whose reflective layer is mainly composed of Ag and capable of attaining an optical medium which is excellent in surface smoothness and can sufficiently suppress noise and jitter, a method of making the same, an optical medium, and a method of making the same. The present invention provides a sputtering target for making an optical medium comprising 0.1 to 2 at % of one or two elements selected from the group consisting of Ta and Nb, 0.1 to 1 at % of Al, and the balance constituted by Ag and unavoidable impurities; and an optical medium comprising a reflective layer having this composition on a substrate.

Abstract: A sputtering target for optical media is mainly composed of Al and contains 1 to 10 at % of one or two species of elements selected from the group consisting of Ta and Nb and 0.1 to 10 at % of Ag. An optical medium 100 comprises a substrate 10 and reflective layers 20A, 20B provided on the substrate 10. Each of the reflective layers 20A, 20B has a composition, mainly composed of Al, containing 1 to 10 at % of one or two species of elements selected from the group consisting of Ta and Nb and 0.1 to 10 at % of Ag.

Abstract: The method of manufacturing an optical information recording medium includes a first resin applying step of applying a first photo-curing resin to one surface of a first substrate, a first resin curing step of laminating a first stamper having an uneven surface on the first photo-curing resin, and irradiating ultraviolet rays via the first stamper to cure the first photo-curing resin, a second resin applying step of applying a second photo-curing resin to the other surface of the first substrate, a second resin curing step of laminating a second stamper having an uneven surface on the second photo-curing resin, and irradiating ultraviolet rays via the first second to cure the second photo-curing resin, a first stamper peeling step of peeling the second stamper from the second photo-curing resin, and a first recording layer laminating step of laminating a first recording layer on an exposed surface of the second photo-curing resin.

Abstract: A high density information storage medium includes a recording layer in which information is stored; a thin metal film placed on the recording layer and having a structure in which nano-apertures having a size of several nanometers to several hundred nanometers are defined at regular intervals; and a protective layer placed on the thin metal film. As light irradiated from above the protective layer passes through the nano-apertures, physical characteristics of the recording layer are changed, whereby information is stored.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes an inorganic recording layer, a first protective layer provided on at least one surface of the inorganic recording layer and containing indium oxide, and a second protective layer provided so as to be adjacent to the first protective layer and containing titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, or tin oxide.

Abstract: An optical article comprising a mark disposed on the optical article; wherein the mark comprises an optical state change material; wherein the optical state change material undergoes a change in its optical state when exposed to an activation signal selected from one or more of a laser, thermal energy, infrared rays, X-rays, gamma rays, microwaves, visible light, ultraviolet light, ultrasound waves, radio frequency waves, electrical energy, chemical energy, magnetic energy, and mechanical energy; wherein the optical article is transformed from a pre-activated state to an activated state when an authorized activation method is used; and wherein the optical article is transformed from a pre-activated state to an incorrectly activated state when an unauthorized activation method is used. A method and a system for changing the functionality of the optical article are also provided.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to write-once record and reproduce, or only reproduce, a mark smaller than the resolution limit; obtain a high level of reproduction performance (CNR and the like); and realize a high level of reproduction durability. In the invention, between a signal reproducing functional layer composed of Sb or Te and a protecting layer there is introduced a thermally stable diffusion preventing layer, and thereby reactions between the signal reproducing functional layer and the protecting layer due to increased temperature can be prevented or suppressed while increasing reproduction durability.

Abstract: A silver alloy reflective film for optical information storage media, which can maintain superior environmental resistance, such as high hygrothermal resistance and high light stability, over the long term even when the metal reflective film is in direct contact with a resin layer. An optical information storage medium includes the reflective film and a sputtering target deposits the reflective film. The silver alloy reflective film includes one or more specific elements selected from Pr, Ho, Yb, Sm, Er, Tm, and Tb, to suppress deterioration occurring when the silver alloy reflective film is in direct contact with a resin layer, where silver in the reflective film migrates and aggregates into the adjacent resin layer.

Abstract: The optical information recording medium comprises a recording layer on a surface of a support. The surface of the support has pregrooves with a track pitch ranging from 50 to 500 nm, the recording layer comprises an azo metal complex dye, the azo metal complex dye is a complex of one or more azo dye and transition metal ions of which number is equal to or greater than the number of the azo dye. The azo metal complex dye comprises two or more transition metal ions per molecule, and in a molecule of the azo metal complex dye.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of optical information recording. According to the invention, an optical storage structure is proposed comprising a substrate equipped with physical marks whose geometrical configuration defines the recorded information, a superposition of three layers on top of the substrate marks, and a transparent protective layer on top of this superposition, the superposition comprising a layer of indium or gallium antimonide inserted between two ZnS/SiO2 dielectric layers. The antimonide layer has a polycrystalline structure with an average crystal grain size between 5 and 50 nanometers. The non-linear behavior of the superposition of three layers under the read laser makes it possible to read information having a size below the theoretical resolution of the reading system.

Abstract: A cyanine compound is represented by: wherein, R11 and R12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a cyano group, an organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, or a group represented by the following general formula (II), (II?), or (III); R13 and R14 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, or a substituent represented by the following general formula (III); R11 and R12 may be connected together to form a ring structure; R19 represents a hydrogen atom or an organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms; R13 and R14 may be connected together to form a heterocycle; N—R13 may be connected together with a methylene group in a polymethine chain to form a heterocycle; Z00 is an organic group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; m is 0 or 1; s is 2 to 8; Anq? represents an anion having a valence of q; q is 1 or 2; and p represents a coefficient for maintaining charge neutrality.

Abstract: An optical data storage disk including a substrate, a nanocrystalline noise reduction layer formed over the substrate, a reflector formed directly on the noise reduction layer and a cover layer formed over the reflector layer. An optical source detects data from the disk through the cover layer. In some embodiments, the reflector layer forms part of a multilayer recording stack and the cover layer is formed over the multilayer recording stack. In some embodiments, the noise reduction layer includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ti alloys, Ti oxides, Cr, Cr alloys and Cr oxides. Additionally, a method of forming an optical data storage disk that includes a nanocrystalline noise reduction layer.

Abstract: An information recording medium of the present invention includes N information layers on a substrate (1), where N is an integer of 2 or more. Information is recorded/reproduced by irradiating each of the information layers (11, 12) with a laser beam (4). When the N information layers are referred to as a first information layer to an N-th information layer sequentially from the opposite side to a laser beam incident side, the L-th information layer included in the N information layers includes at least a recording layer (135) capable of undergoing a phase change through laser beam irradiation, a reflective layer (132), and a transmittance adjusting layer (131) in this order from the laser beam incident side, where L is an integer satisfying 2?L?N. The transmittance adjusting layer (131) contains Nb, oxygen (O), and at least one element M selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, Y, Cr, Zn, Ga, Co, Bi, In, Ta, and Ce. In the transmittance adjusting layer (131), the content of Nb is at least 2.9 atom %.

Abstract: The optical storage medium, in particular a read-only optical disc, comprises a substrate layer, a read only data layer comprising a pit structure and being arranged on the substrate layer, a mask layer comprising nanoparticles for providing a super resolution near field effect, and a dielectric layer arranged between the data layer and the mask layer. The dielectric layer has a thickness, which changes in dependency of the pit structure and is for example a plastic layer having a completely flat surface for providing a uniform arrangement of the nanoparticles. For the manufacturing of a respective optical storage medium, the dielectric layer is arranged on the data layer advantageously by means of spin coating.