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: An information recording medium which includes at least a recording layer, and first and second metallic layers disposed on an opposite side of an energy beam incident side of the recording layer and having different compositions, and in which the first one of the first and second metallic layers located closer to the recording layer contains Al, Ag, Au, Pt and Pd as its main components and a sum of contents of these atoms is 60% or more. Thereby recording and reproducing of information can be realized with a high reliability.

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: 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: An information recording medium which includes at least a recording layer, and first and second metallic layers disposed on an opposite side of an energy beam incident side of the recording layer and having different compositions, and in which the first one of the first and second metallic layers located closer to the recording layer contains Al, Ag, Au, Pt and Pd as its main components and a sum of contents of these atoms is 60% or more. Thereby recording and reproducing of information can be realized with a high reliability.

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: A recording medium has a dummy signal area on at least one side of a recording area, 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. The recording medium further stores thereon information concerning the pattern of the dummy signal that is used, for example the duty cycle of the dummy signal. The information may be recorded in the control data area of the recording medium.

Abstract: An information recording medium which is composed of a substrate and a recording layer formed thereon to record information by means of the change in atomic arrangement induced by irradiation with light, said recording layer having at least one interface layer laminated at its interface. It is superior in recording-reproducing-rewriting characteristics and archival life.

Abstract: An information recording medium having a substrate, a lower superficial layer formed on the substrate and having a thickness of not more than 25 nm, and a recording layer formed on the lower superficial layer. Information is recorded on the recording layer in accordance with a change of atomic arrangement caused by irradiation of light. The information recording medium includes and an absorption control layer formed on the recording layer.

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: An information storage medium includes a substrate, a thin film formed on the substrate and having a reflectance changed by a phase change caused by irradiation of an energy beam irradiated via the substrate and a first reflective layer and a second reflective layer on the film directly or via an intermediate layer. The thin film includes one of In3SbTe2, In35Sb32Te33, In31Sb26Te43 and Ag—In—Sb—Te. The first reflective layer and the second reflective layer are piled up in the recited order from a thin film side with the first reflective layer consisting of a material having an attenuation factor k of 2 or less and selected from a group of silicon based materials and the second reflective layer consisting of a material having an attenuation factor k of at least 3.

Abstract: The object is to hold the recording, reproduction and rewrite characteristics better than in the prior art. An information recording medium comprises an information recording thin film as a recording layer formed on a substrate for recording and/or reproducing information by the change in the atomic arrangement caused by the radiation of light. The medium further comprises at least one protective layer. The protective layer and the recording layer are formed in that order from the light incidence side, followed by forming at least one absorption control layer, thereby exhibiting a superior rewrite characteristic.

Abstract: An information recording medium which includes at least a recording layer, and first and second metallic layers disposed on an opposite side of an energy beam incident side of the recording layer and having different compositions, and in which the first one of the first and second metallic layers located closer to the recording layer contains Al, Ag, Au, Pt and Pd as its main components and a sum of contents of these atoms is 60% or more. Thereby recording and reproducing of information can be realized with a high reliability.

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: 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: An information memory apparatus includes an information storage medium having a thin film formed as a recording layer or a superresolution reading mask layer on a substrate directly or via a foundation layer to record and/or reproduce information stored in the form of an atom configuration change caused by irradiation of an energy beam. The information storage medium includes reflective layers as well. The information memory apparatus further includes a laser used for at least recording. The laser has a wavelength. The light absorptance of the recording layer or mask layer of the medium in a crystalline state at the wavelength is greater than or equal to the light absorptance of the recording layer or mask layer of the medium in an amorphous state at the wavelength.

Abstract: A recording film 3 of phase change type of Sb-Te-Ge system or Sb-Te-In system has at least one of lanthanoid elements and elements selected from among Ag, Ba, Co, Cr, Ni, Pt, Si, Sr, Au, Cd, Cu, Li, Mo, Mn, Zn, Al, Fe, Pb, Na, Cs, Ga, Pd, Bi, Sn, Ti, and V added thereto. A high melting point component 3b is precipitated in the recording film 3 to coexist with a phase change component 3a, thereby preventing the recording film 3 from flowing and segregating during recording and erasing. The recording film 3 can be made not as recording film, but as superresolution readout thin film to mask an optical disc recorded by ruggedness, an optical disc of phase change type, and a magneto-optical disc, thereby increasing number of possible superresolution readouts to a great extent.

Abstract: An information recording medium which comprises as a recording layer an information recording thin layer, formed on a substrate directly or via an underlayer, which records and/or reads back information through the use of atomic arrangement change caused by the irradiation of energy beams, a protective layer and at least two reflective layers, the reflective layers including a first reflective layer and a second reflective layer, the materials of which differ in refractive index or extinction coefficient or both, the aforesaid layers being laminated in the order, from the side of light incidence, of the protective layer, the recording layer, an intermediate layer, the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer.

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: An optical disk apparatus using an optical disk in which a layer (a reflectivity adjustment layer) in which the optical constants are changed by melting at the time of irradiation of light is provided separately from a recording layer using a phase change, and the reflectivity at a portion having a high reflectivity on the recording track is 40% or lower at the time of irradiation of strong light, and the reflectivity at the same portion is 60% or higher at the time of irradiation of weak light, wherein when the laser power is set to a power which is higher than the power at which the optical constants of the reflectivity adjustment layer are greatly changed at the time of rewriting and at which a high melting-point component is not melted, remaining of an unerased portion during rewriting due to a difference in reflectivity between the written mark portion and the other portions can be prevented and the possible number of rewritings can be increased, and hence an optical disk which has a high recording sensi