Abstract: In an optical disk in which a recording layer is selected by applying voltages, a different address pit is formed in each recording layer. To this end, a plurality of recording layers are formed in a way that the plurality of recording layers follow a concavo-convex shape formed in a substrate, and thus the plurality of recording layers keep the concavo-convex shape even after the formation; mutually different address marks are add-on written, as a part of the address information, respectively to recording layer so that the address and track information can be confirmed in each layer.

Abstract: A method for mass-producing a recording mark capable of being reproduced even below the diffraction limit in the information recording medium. A medium comprising: a substrate including a first material on the surface, and a second material formed on a first area on the substrate, and a third material at least whose surface energy or surface curvature are different from the second material, and the second material and third material possess at least different chemical or physical characteristics, and at least the surface energy or surface curvature of the third material are greater than the second material, moreover a region formed of the third material contains less than 20 percent of the second material, and the second or the third material can be melted for performing recording or reproduction, so that a recording mark can be produced that is capable of being read even below the diffraction limit in the information recording medium.

Abstract: A process is simplified in a device in which desired materials are arranged in desired regions. After forming a film including a second material and a third material on a substrate having a first material on the surface, the second material and the third material are transferred utilizing the surface tension of the third material by using energy irradiation so that the second material comes on the first area of the surface of the substrate and the third material comes on the second area of the surface of the substrate. A fine device can be manufactured easily.

Abstract: An optical disk medium in which high density recording/reproducing is possible, an information recording method and an information reproducing method using it are provided. A pit composed of a phase change material and a recording film different from it are provided on an optical disk. The phase change pit has a pattern of a single frequency. A mark having a size on the same level as the phase change pit can be formed by melting a single phase change pit while recording and controlling the optical absorbance and the temperature of the recording film at the region. A single phase change pit is molten while reproducing. Since the optical characteristics of the molten region are different from the optical characteristics of other regions, only data at the molten region can be reproduced by a super-resolution effect.

Abstract: A method for determining layers in a recording medium having a plurality of layers for the recording and reproduction of information using light irradiation. Each of the plurality of layers includes an emboss portion and a wobble region having wobbles of a predetermined frequency. Layer determination is carried out based on the ratio of the amplitude of a wobble signal obtained from the wobble region to the amplitude of a reproduction signal from the emboss portion.

Abstract: A method of recording information by irradiating a recording track in an information recording medium with light, the information recording medium comprising a plurality of layers for the recording of information by light irradiation. Each of the layers comprises asperities made up of a groove, the groove in each of the multiple layers having wobbles of a first frequency and wobbles of a second frequency that is different from the first frequency within a single track, wherein the first frequency is constant in each of the layers, and wherein a different signal is obtained from the wobbles of the first and second frequencies in each of the plurality of layers.

Abstract: An optical reproducing method adds a dummy signal to at least a leading or trailing side of a recording signal recorded on an information recording medium. The duty ratio of the dummy signal is not greater than 50%, and the recording start position of the combined recording signal and dummy signal is shifted at random.

Abstract: Recording information is disclosed in which an information recording medium is irradiated with a recording energy beam that is power-modulated into at least a record power level and a record-ready power level lower than the record power level. The information is recorded on the recording medium in the form of length and interval of a mark portion. When forming a mark portion of a predetermined length, the radiation energy of the energy beam is increased as compared with when forming a mark portion of a different length before or after the first pulse of an energy beam pulse train including at least a pulse for forming the mark portion.

Abstract: Problem to be solved is that when an information recording medium is repeatedly subjected to recording of information several hundreds times, the atoms in a protective layer are diffused and dissolved into a recording layer to lower a reflectivity greatly and make the medium unendurable to many times of overwriting. This problem can be solved by a medium constituted of interference layer 10, interface layer 12, phase-change type recording layer 14, protective layer 13 having a tin content of from 23.3 atomic % to 32.3 atomic %, and a heat sink layer 8 successively formed on substrate 1, as seen from a light-incidence side. By use of this medium, the dissolution of atoms can be prevented, and overwriting for many times can be achieved.

Abstract: An optical disk of a land-and-groove recording system capable of reducing a track pitch while suppressing the drop of an S/N ratio of reproduction signals is provided. The optical disk includes guide groove portions and space portions between the groove portions and is loaded to an optical disk recording/reproduction apparatus having a mechanism for removing or reducing leakage signals from adjacent tracks by using three or more light beam spots and signals are recorded to the groove portions and the space portions between the groove portions, wherein a wavelength ? of reproduction light irradiated from the optical disk recording/reproduction apparatus and a refractive index n of a cover layer on an incidence side of reproduction light or a substrate are from ?/12n to ?/6n.

Abstract: A method for recording information is disclosed in which an information recording medium is irradiated with a recording energy beam power-modulated into at least a record power level and a record-ready power level lower than the record power level. When forming a mark portion of a predetermined length, the radiation energy of the energy beam is increased as compared with when forming a mark portion of a different length before or after the first pulse of an energy beam pulse train including at least a pulse for forming the mark portion. Also, only in the case where the energy beam is modulated by the power lower in power level than the record-ready power level after the last pulse of the energy beam pulse train including at least one pulse for forming a mark portion and the mark portion is followed by a space portion of a predetermined length, the particular radiation energy of low power level is reduced as compared with when the mark portion is followed by a space potion of a different length.

Abstract: Disclosed are an information reproduction method and an information recording medium that allow reproducing information below a diffraction limit. A recording layer formed with recording marks consisting of a nucleation inducer and a reading layer are provided. When a reading beam is irradiated, a predetermined area of the reading layer is crystallized based on the recording mark of the recording layer such that the area is magnified to a size larger than the recording mark, and information is thus reproduced. Information of the recording marks below the diffraction limit can be reproduced without using a special information reproduction apparatus.

Abstract: An information recording medium and manufacturing method for high-speed and high density recording. An inorganic film is formed by sputtering while applying a bias voltage to shift the substrate voltage potential in the negative direction, or a laminated film is formed by applying energy after coating a substrate with an organic film, and the irregularities maintained even after the laminated film is formed, so that stable, high-capacity and high-speed recording can be attained by forming a multi-information-layer that still retains the irregularities.

Abstract: A recording medium having a dummy signal area on at least one side of a recording area is used and information is recorded with a dummy signal added to at least one of the leading and trailing sides in the recorded information signal. The user data area remains unaffected by repeated overwriting so that recorded user data is reproduced correctly. In particular, the wave form distortion caused by fluidization of a recording film remains at the dummy signal area and does not affect the user data area, so that the reproduction of the target information (user data) is assured.

Abstract: Disclosed here is an apparatus and method for realizing write/read of mass information by reducing cross-talk components that are apt to increase in narrow tracks when various disturbances and variations are recognized. In order to achieve the above object, the apparatus is provided with a plurality of equalizers for correcting frequency characteristics of signals reproduced from a plurality of spots, then outputs from those equalizers are subjected to a computing process to correct tap coefficients of the equalizers sequentially so as to minimize the influence of the subject cross-talk, thereby realizing stable reduction of the cross-talk components.

Abstract: Recording information is disclosed in which an information recording medium is irradiated with a recording energy beam that is power-modulated into at least a record power level and a record-ready power level lower than the record power level. The information is recorded on the recording medium in the form of length and interval of a mark portion. When forming a mark portion of a predetermined length, the radiation energy of the energy beam is increased as compared with when forming a mark portion of a different length before or after the first pulse of an energy beam pulse train including at least a pulse for forming the mark portion.

Abstract: Recording information is disclosed in which an information recording medium is irradiated with a recording energy beam that is power-modulated into at least a record power level and a record-ready power level lower than the record power level. The information is recorded on the recording medium in the form of length and interval of a mark portion. When forming a mark portion of a predetermined length, the radiation energy of the energy beam is increased as compared with when forming a mark portion of a different length before or after the first pulse of an energy beam pulse train including at least a pulse for forming the mark portion.

Abstract: A recording medium having a dummy signal area on at least one side of a recording area is used and information is recorded with a dummy signal added to at least one of the leading and trailing sides in the recorded information signal. The user data area remains unaffected by repeated overwriting so that recorded user data is reproduced correctly. In particular, the wave form distortion caused by fluidization of a recording film remains at the dummy signal area and does not affect the user data area, so that the reproduction of the target information (user data) is assured.

Abstract: This invention relates to an information-recording medium that is used for recording information through radiation of energy beam. The information recording medium has a groove-shaped information recording track and is provided with a recording layer, one or more kinds of heat sink control layers and heat sink layers. A sum of film thickness of the more than one kind of recording layer is equal to or less than a step between information recording tracks, and a sum of film thickness of one or more kinds of heat sink control layers is more than a groove depth of the information recording track. With this configuration, no cross-erase is produced even if the information-recording medium is applied for a high density recording with the track pitch being 70% or less.

Abstract: A method for recording information is disclosed in which an information recording medium is irradiated with a recording energy beam power-modulated into at least a record power level and a record-ready power level lower than the record power level. When forming a mark portion of a predetermined length, the radiation energy of the energy beam is increased as compared with when forming a mark portion of a different length before or after the first pulse of an energy beam pulse train including at least a pulse for forming the mark portion. Also, only in the case where the energy beam is modulated by the power lower in power level than the record-ready power level after the last pulse of the energy beam pulse train including at least one pulse for forming a mark portion and the mark portion is followed by a space portion of a predetermined length, the particular radiation energy of low power level is reduced as compared with when the mark portion is followed by a space potion of a different length.