Abstract: An optical recording medium with a number of recording layers that is adaptive for enhancing a light efficiency and for improving a responsibility of information and a recording capacity. In the optical recording medium, at least one of recording layers in the number of recording layers are formed of a material having a non-linear optical characteristic. The recording layer made from the non-linear optical characteristic material has a higher reflective coefficient as a light intensity becomes stronger, thereby improving a light efficiency when a recording layer far away from the light source is accessed. Also, the recording layer made from the non-linear optical characteristic allows an effective diameter of a light spot to be reduced, thereby enlarging a recording capacity of the optical recording medium.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium composed of a substrate and a recording layer having a dye compound of the formula (I): R1R2C═L1—L2═L3—NR3R4  (I) in which each of R1 and R2 is an electron-attracting group (i.e., electron-withdrawing group) having a Hammett's substituent constant &sgr;p in the range of 0.2 to 0.

Abstract: An optical storage medium that is compatible with a semiconductor laser having a beam with a short wavelength (i.e. between 500 and 700 nm), which includes a highly stable dye layer. The optical storage medium of the invention includes an optically transparent substrate having at least one major surface on which at least one groove is formed, a storage layer on the substrate and a metal reflection layer on the storage layer. The storage layer contains a composite consisting of from about 3 weight % to about 30 weight % of a metal complex compound and a cyanine dye. The cyanine dye absorbs light in the wavelength between 500 and 700 nm, and has an asymmetric molecular structure. The optical storage medium of the invention reduces jitter components in high density data storage and conforms to DVD specifications.

Abstract: A rewriteable phase-change optical recording element includes a substrate; and a recording layer over the substrate having at least two sub-layers of different chemical compositions, the compositions and thickness of the sub-layers being selected so that when subject to laser light during a writing process the compositions mixed together to form a high reflectivity mixed crystalline region without using any prior initialization or mixing processes.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a metallized substrate using the island coating method, includes depositing a coating layer containing a radiation curable non-volatile film former. The coated part is then vacuum metallized to form the metal islands of the present invention. A layer of clear resinous protective dielectric topcoat containing a radiation curable non-volatile film former is then deposited to completely cover the layer of metal islands while maintaining the aesthetic properties of the metallizing island coating system at a reduced cost and with minimal variability among parts.

Abstract: Information-bearing discs are fabricated from a first disc and a second disc. The first disc has a first substantially planar surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The second surface has first information recorded on it by means of local changes in the distance of the second surface from the first surface. The thickness of the second disc is not equal to the thickness of the first disc and has opposite, substantially planar, third and fourth surfaces. The fourth surface may have second information recorded on it by means of local changes in the distance of the fourth surface from the third surface. The second disc is secured to the first disc so that the fourth surface faces the second surface.

Abstract: A device cures an adhesive by means of UV radiation in an inert-gas atmosphere. The adhesive is interposed as an adhesive layer between two superposed layers of a disc-shaped information carrier. The device includes a UV source, a supplier for an inert gas, and a holder for holding the information carrier in a centered position with respect to a centering axis. The inert-gas supplier has discharge openings for inert gas, situated in a circular zone around the centering axis, at a distance from the centering axis which substantially corresponds to the radius of the peripheral edge of the information carrier, so as to cause inert gas to flow past the peripheral edge during curing, as a result of which locally present oxygen which would interfere with curing is expelled.

Abstract: An organic write-once optical recording medium includes a surface plasmon super-resolution layer. The surface plasmon super-resolution layer is a three-layer structure including a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, and a metal layer sandwiched between said first dielectric layer and said second dielectric layer. The metal layer with a certain thickness performs the surface plasmon effect when a laser beam with a suitable wavelength irradiates thereon. By the design and arrangement of the surface plasmon super-resolution layer, the small size of information-carrying pits and the recording marks in the range of around 100 nm is accessible. As a result, the super-resolution without the limit of the optical diffraction is achieved.

Abstract: A phase change optical disk having excellent corrosion resistance, recording signal properties and overwrite cyclability, which contains a first dielectric layer, a recording layer, a second dielectric layer, a reflection layer and a protection layer, characterized in that the reflection layer comprises a first reflection layer made of a metal or an alloy thereof having an electronegativity ranging from 1.9 to 3.0 and a second reflection layer made of Cu, Ag or an alloy thereof, said first reflection layer being in closed contact with the second dielectric layer, and the second reflection layer, with the first reflection layer and the protection layer.

Abstract: A novel optical recording medium having at least a recording layer and a reflective layer on a substrate is herein disclosed, wherein at least one dipyrromethene metal chelate compound represented by formula (1) is contained in the recording layer: wherein R1 and R9 are each independently an alkenyl group, an aryl group or a heteroaryl group; R2 to R8 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aralkyl, aryl or heteroaryl group having 20 or less carbon atoms; and M is a transition metal.

Abstract: A rewritable phase change type optical recording medium having excellent in storage durability such as archival property and overwrite shelf property and is less likely to have increased jitters, lower contrast and bursting due to deterioration by repeated overwriting is disclosed. The optical recording medium comprises a first dielectric layer, a first boundary layer and a recording layer, in tis order, wherein the first boundary layer is in contact with the recording layer. The information in the optical recording medium can be recorded, erased and reproduced by irradiating the recording layer with light. The recording and erasure of information are affected by reversible phase change between amorphous phase and crystalline phase of the recording layer.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided that includes a spirally grooved polymer substrate, a recording layer, a reflecting layer, and a protection layer. The recording layer includes one or a mixture of phthalocyanine dyes. The phthalocyanine dye includes a bicyclo-alkyl substituent, providing solubility in any of a plurality of solvents that will not damage the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical recording medium which is inhibited or prevented from sticking of lubricants onto a light emitting face of a solid immersion lens. The optical recording medium 10 of the present invention comprises a substrate 1 and, provided thereon in succession, a reflective layer 2, a recording layer 4, a protective layer 6 and a lubricating layer 7. The lubricating layer 7 is heated and/or irradiated with ultraviolet rays to adjust the lubricant bonding rate to at least 60%, thereby to reduce the amount of physical adsorptive lubricant contained in the lubricating layer 7. As a result, when recording and reproduction are carried out using a floating type optical head provided with a solid immersion lens, the lubricant hardly sticks to the light emitting face of the solid immersion lens. The lubricant bonding rate can be enhanced to 80% or more by rinsing the lubricating layer with a solvent after the heating and/or the irradiation with ultraviolet rays.

Abstract: An optical information recording disc is composed a transparent substrate, an information recording layer, a metallic light-reflecting layer, a light-shielding layer, and an ink-printable layer, in order. The light-shielding layer is prepared essentially from a binder polymer and zinc sulfide particles, so that an ink, particularly an aqueous ink solution, applied onto the ink-printable layer gives a clear ink image with almost no blur.

Abstract: The optical recording medium includes at least a recording layer, a recording supplemental layer, a reflection layer and a protection layer on a light permeable substrate, each of the recording layer and the recording supplemental layer is made mainly of an organic pigment material, with the optical recording medium, recording and reproducing is possible using a laser beam having a wavelength of &lgr;1 and also recording and/or reproducing is possible using a laser beam having a wavelength of &lgr;2 which is shorter than &lgr;1, a spectral absorbance of the recording layer is in the range between 5% and 35% at a wavelength of &lgr;1 and not less than 15% at a wavelength of &lgr;2, and the recording supplemental layer has a peak of spectral reflectance at a wavelength in the vicinity of &lgr;2.

Abstract: The invention relates to an adhesive for optical disks exhibiting superior adhesive properties with resins such as polycarbonate or metals such as aluminum and gold, and possessing better wet heat resistance than conventional adhesives. The adhesive comprises (A) a urethane (meth)acrylate oligomer (B) a hydroxy (meth)acrylate in which the hydroxy group is 3 or more carbons spaced away from the (meth) acrylate, and (C) at least one photoinitiator.

Abstract: An optical memory device comprising a luminous material capable of increasing and/or memorizing a photoluminescence intensity (hereinafter referred to as a “luminous intensity”) as a function of irradiation energy of excitation light. And the luminous material comprises nanoparticles, diameters of which are smaller than Bohr radius of the luminous material so that excitons generated in the nanoparticles undergo quantum containment state in which the electrons and holes are individually contained as a result of irradiation with excitation light.

Abstract: In an optical disk which includes a recording film having a laminated construction, and which records information by changing optical characteristics of the recording film by applying a laser beam, there are laminatedly formed a WO3 film 2 as a second layer, the WO3 requiring energy by about 470 kJ when it dissociates 1 mol of oxygen molecules, an Sn—43 atomic % Bi film 3 which includes Sn as a first layer, the Sn generating energy by about 610 kJ when it bonds with 1 mol of oxygen molecules and having a melting point of about 139° C., and a resin film 4 in this order on a guide groove 1c forming surface 1b of a substrate 1. When a recording laser beam is applied, a part of Sn—43 atomic % Bi film 3 is turned into a liquid phase, both of the films 2 and 3 react, and the optical characteristics of the recording film 10 vary so that information is recorded. As a result, the retention characteristic of the recorded data is secured, and the reactivity of the recording film is enhanced.

Abstract: A non-true-circular optical disk includes a disk substrate which internally touches a hypothetical true-circle corresponding to an outer periphery of a true-circular optical disk of a certain standard size. The disk substrate has a non-true-circular contour corresponding to a configuration shaped such that at least one cut-out portion is formed at an outer periphery of the hypothetical true-circle to thereby enhance a design. The disk substrate includes at least one inscribed outer peripheral edge internally touching the hypothetical true-circle.

Abstract: A record medium (1) is provided with: a main body; a groove track (1G) formed on the main body, as one track for recording information onto which a light beam for recording and/or reproducing the information is irradiated; and a land track (1L) formed on the main body, which is adjacent to the groove track, as another track for recording the information onto which the light beam for recording and/or reproducing the information is irradiated. A judgment wobble (W), which has a judgment pattern to judge whether the light beam is irradiated onto the groove track or the land track, is formed on only one side wall of the groove track.