Abstract: The life of a rewritable information carrier such a CD-E covered by a phase-change recording layer is extended by varying the manner of representing information of an information block, for subsequent recordings, in the same portion of the record carrier. The manner can be changed, for example, by shifting the initial position at which representing information is written along the track over a distance randomly selected within predefined boundaries; or by writing a varying amount of information representing information from the end of the block before the start of information from the beginning of the information block to rotate the information in the track; or by scrambling the information in a varying manner such as using different keys. The manner of representation can be changed, for example, for each subsequent recording on the same portion of the record carrier. This causes different patterns to be recorded in the same portion, even if the same information is recorded in that portion of the track.

Abstract: A method for writing an optical record carrier, in which a mark representing recorded data is written in the record carrier by a sequence of radiation pulses. The radiation power has a different level in between the pulses of a sequence and immediately after the last pulses of a sequence. This allows an independent control of the leading and trailing edge jitter of the marks written.

Abstract: A method is described for optimizing recording conditions for writing information on an optical record carrier. The information is written on the record carrier in the form of optically detectable marks, each mark being written by a pulse series of radiation. A series of test patterns is written on the record carrier (1) for the optimization. A jitter detector (11) measures both the leading-edge and trailing-edge jitter of the read signal. The leading-edge jitter is used to optimize the value of a parameter influencing only the leading part of a pulse series. The trailing-edge jitter is used to optimize a parameter influencing only the trailing part of the pulse series.

Abstract: The device according to the invention is suitable for recording a rewritable information carrier such a CD-E covered by a phase-change recording layer. As is known, such an information carrier has a limited useful life because the recorded, optically readable patterns start deviating ever more from the desired form when recorded recurrently. The invention is also based on the recognition that this degradation is accelerated if a certain part of the track on the information carrier constantly accommnodates the same patterns, for example, if information blocks are recorded starting from fixed initial positions and the information is represented by the patterns in a specific manner. The device comprises means for shifting the initial position along the track over a distance randomly selected within predefined boundaries and/or for adapting the manner of representation. This causes constantly different patterns to be recorded, even if the same information is to be recorded in a specific part of the track.

Abstract: An optical recording medium having a recording layer with grooves that define recording tracks. The structure of unwritten tracks enable a scanning device to derive a radial tracking error signal using the push-pull method. The structure of the written tracks enable the scanning device to derive a radial tracking error signal using the high-frequency phase-detection method. The width of the groove is in the range from 0.3 to 0.6 time the wavelength over the numerical aperture for scanning the recording medium. The depth of the groove is in the range from 1/24 to 1/7 times the wavelength for scanning the recording medium. The phase difference between a radiation beam reflected from a track at a mark and a radiation beam reflected from that track in a region between written marks is in the range from 0.4 to 2.0 radians.

Abstract: A description is given of an reversible optical information medium comprising a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a phase-change recording layer on the basis of Ge--Sb--Te, a second dielectric layer, and a metal mirror layer. The recording layer comprises an alloy having the composition Ge.sub.50x Sb.sub.40-40x Te.sub.60-10x in atom %, wherein0.166.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.444and wherein the layer thickness d.sub.3 of said recording layer ranges between 25 and 35 nm. Such a medium is suitable for high speed recording (i.e. at least twice the CD-speed), and has a large cyclability of at least 10.sup.5 direct overwrite cycles.

Abstract: A description is given of an reversible optical information medium comprising a substrate (1), a first dielectric layer (2), a phase-change recording layer on the basis of Ge-Sb-Te (3), a second dielectric layer (4), and a metal mirror layer (5). The recording layer (3) comprises an alloy having the composition Ge.sub.50x Sb.sub.40-40x Te.sub.60-10x, in atom %, wherein0.166.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.444and wherein the layer thickness d.sub.3 of said recording layer (3) ranges between 25 and 35 nm. Such a medium is suitable for high speed recording (i.e. at least twice the CD-speed), and has a large cyclability of at least 10.sup.5 direct overwrite cycles.

Abstract: A method is described for recording an optical information carrier, in which marks representing recorded data are written at different writing speeds by radiation pulse of equal length and power, independent of the writing speed. The number of pulses per unit length of the written mark is a constant independent of the writing speed.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device whereby a layer (12) containing Co or Ni is deposited on a surface (2) of a semiconductor body (1) bounded by silicon regions (3, 4, 5, 6) and regions of insulating material (8, 9), after which the semiconductor body (1) is heated during a heat treatment to a temperature at which the Co or Ni forms a metal silicide with the silicon (3, 4, 5, 6), but not with the insulating material (8, 9). On the surface (2) of the layer (12) containing the Co or Ni, according to the invention, a layer of an amorphous alloy of this metal with a metal from a group comprising Ti, Zr, Ta, Mo, Nb, Hf and W is deposited, while furthermore the temperature is so adjusted during the heat treatment that the layer (12) of the amorphous alloy remains amorphous during the heat treatment.

Abstract: A device comprising semiconductor elements and conductor tracks of an oxidic superconducting material, electrically conductive connections being formed between semiconductor elements and conductor tracks, is provided with an electrically conductive antidiffusion layer between the semiconductor elements and the conductor tracks. The antidiffusion layer is composed of an amorphous alloy having the composition A.sub.x E.sub.1-x, wherein A is selected from one or more of the elements Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir and Pt, wherein E is selected from one or more of the elements B, Si, Al, Ga and Ge, and wherein x has a value of from 0.7 to 0.95.