Abstract: An installation assist apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes hardware processor configured to: receive an input of installation positions of first and second optical wireless communication devices performing optical wireless communication and an input of an angle of elevation representing an inclination of an optical axis center line to a horizontal line, the optical axis center line connecting the first and second optical wireless communication devices; determine whether each of the first and second optical wireless communication devices is affected by solar light, the determination being carried out based on the installation positions of the devices, the angle of elevation, an influence angle representing a maximum value of an incident angle of solar light affecting the devices, and solar positions through a whole year; and cause a display device to display a result of the determination.

Abstract: An installation assist apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes hardware processor configured to: receive an input of installation positions of first and second optical wireless communication devices performing optical wireless communication and an input of an angle of elevation representing an inclination of an optical axis center line to a horizontal line, the optical axis center line connecting the first and second optical wireless communication devices; determine whether each of the first and second optical wireless communication devices is affected by solar light, the determination being carried out based on the installation positions of the devices, the angle of elevation, an influence angle representing a maximum value of an incident angle of solar light affecting the devices, and solar positions through a whole year; and cause a display device to display a result of the determination.

Abstract: An optical disc is constructed for operation in an alloying mode and includes first recording sublayer of Ge--Sb--Te and a second recording sublayer of Bi--Te. Apparatus is provided for recording information on an optical disc in the alloying mode or phase transformation mode in accordance with disc type information associated with the disc and readably by the apparatus. There is also provided an environmental aging technique for use in constructing optical discs to obviate significant dimensional changes in the discs during use between the extremes of the operating environment. There is further provided an optical disc construction and method in which an inorganic dielectric deposited on an organic substrate includes a hydrocarbon. There is additionally provided an optical disc construction and method in which a plasma polymer layer is disposed between an inorganic dielectric layer over the recording layer and a resin layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information recording medium including a first recording film formed on a substrate and having an amorphous phase made of an alloy containing at least Ge and Te, and a second recording film formed on the first recording film and made of a material with a relatively large light absorption coefficient, wherein the alloy of the first recording film exhibits a Raman scattering spectrum having scattering peaks at 140 to 160 cm.sup.-1 and 120 to 130 cm.sup.-1 and no scattering peaks at 100 to 110 cm.sup.-1, and recording is performed by changing optical characteristics by alloying the materials of the first and second recording films by radiating recording light on the first and second recording films.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information recording medium including a first recording film formed on a substrate and having an amorphous phase made of an alloy containing at least Ge and Te, and a second recording film formed on the first recording film and made of a material with a relatively large light absorption coefficient, wherein the alloy of the first recording film exhibits a Raman scattering spectrum having scattering peaks at 140 to 160 cm.sup.-1 and 120 to 130 cm.sup.-1 and no scattering peaks at 100 to 110 cm.sup.-1, and recording is performed by changing optical characteristics by alloying the materials of the first and second recording films by radiating recording light on the first and second recording films.

Abstract: A data recording medium includes a substrate, an undercoat layer formed on the substrate by plasma polymerization using a source gas containing fluorocarbon, and a recording layer formed on the undercoat layer and containing a metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, and Cu, Te, C, and H, data being recorded in the recording layer by forming pits therein. A method of manufacturing a data recording medium includes forming an undercoat layer on a substrate by plasma polymerization using a source gas containing fluorocarbon, and forming a recording layer containing a metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, and Cu, Te, C, and H by reactive sputtering in an atmosphere of a gas mixture of an Ar gas and a hydrocarbon gas.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an information storage medium is disclosed comprising a substrate, and a recording film, formed on the substrate, comprising tellurium or tellurium alloy, carbon, and hydrogen, the recording film absorbing far-infrared rays in a wavelength rnge of 25 to 100 .mu.m by a chemical bonding of tellurium and carbon having a carbon-hydrogen bond. The information storage medium of the present invention has excellent oxidation resistance and its oxidation resistance can be quickly determined. A method is also disclosed for quickly determining the oxidation resistance of a tellurium film when the method used to manufacture the film is unknown.

Abstract: An information storage medium consists of a polycarbonate substrate and a recording layer formed on the substrate and containing an AgTe eutectic alloy, carbon, and hydrogen. Information is recorded on the medium by forming pits in the recording layer upon radiation of a laser beam, and is reproduced by radiating a reproducing laser beam onto the recording layer in which the pits are formed and detecting reflectances.

Abstract: An optical memory for optically storing and reproducing data comprises a substrate, an under layer and a recording layer. The under layer contains carbon and fluorine. The recording layer contains carbon and at least one of a metal and semiconductor material. The under layer acts as a barrier to H.sub.2 O and O.sub.2 diffused through the substrate toward the recording layer. The optical memory has an excellent write sensitivity and anti-oxidization characteristics. Also, the optical memory is capable of stable data storage over a long time period.

Abstract: An information storage medium comprises a substrate, and a magnetic optical recording layer provided on the substrate. A surface portion of the recording layer has a hydrogen-doped portion having a higher hydrogen concentration than that of the other portions of the recording layer. Thus, the recording layer has two portions which have different coercive forces, though being of the same composition. The recording layer is immersed in an aqueous solution having a pH of 4 to 10, to cause hydrogenation reactions to take place on the surface of the recording layer. Another information storage medium comprises a substrate, a magneto-optical recording layer deposited on the substrate, containing a rare earth-transition metal amorphous alloy, and a protective layer deposited on the recording layer. A hydrogenated area is formed by doping hydrogen atoms in the surface portion of the recording layer before the protective layer is formed.

Abstract: An information storage medium includes a substrate, and a recording layer formed on the substrate, which contains carbon, hydrogen, and Te. The recording layer has an amorphous state wherein no peak representing the presence of a crystal is confirmed by X-ray diffractometry, and an activation energy is 1.5 eV or more, which is required to transform the state of the recording layer from the amorphous state into a crystalline state wherein peaks each representing the presence of a crystal are confirmed by X-ray diffractometry.

Abstract: An optical recording medium for optically storing and retrieving information comprises a substrate, two recording layers supported on the substrate and a barrier layer provided between the two recording layers. The two recording layers comprise a thin metallic layer and a thin semiconductor layer which can form an alloy or mixture by applying an energy beam thereto. The barrier layer is employed to prevent the two recording layers from interdiffusing so long as the two recording layers are not exposed to the energy beam.

Abstract: An electroforming method comprising the steps of immersing a conductive matrix and an insoluble electrode having a high oxygen overvoltage, in an electroforming solution containing sulfamate ions, applying a voltage between said conductive matrix and insoluble electrode, to electrolyze said electroforming solution, depositing a metal layer on the surface of said matrix, and emitting electromagnetic radiation, having a wavelength shorter than 400 nm, to said electroforming solution. An electroforming apparatus comprising an electroforming tank holding an electroforming solution containing sulfamate ions, a conductive matrix and an insoluble electrode having a high oxygen overvoltage, both immersed in said electroforming solution, a power source for applying voltage between said conductive matrix and insoluble electrode having a high oxygen overvoltage, and a source of electromagnetic radiation for emitting electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength shorter than 400 nm.

Abstract: A data recording medium comprising, as a recording layer, a thin magnetic alloy film having an axis of easy magnetization along a direction perpendicular to the surface thereof, and an anticorrosion protective layer formed on the recording layer. This recording medium is featured in that the anticorrosion protective layer is formed of a thin oxide film which is obtained by subjecting the surface portion of the recording layer to an anodic oxidization. This protective layer may be further covered with a dielectric film as a second protective covering.