Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical information recording medium which is usually stable and is not affected by the environmental condition and an apparatus used therefor. The method comprises the steps of placing a substrate and a member comprising a material for a film opposing each other in a vacuum film forming chamber; forming a plasma by glow discharging a gas between the substrate and the member comprising a material for a film; and supplying a gas mixture containing water to the film forming chamber before forming films or during forming films of the protective layer by the film forming method in which the material for a film freed from the member comprising a material for a film by using the plasma as an energy source are attached or deposited on the substrate.

Abstract: An optical recording medium capable of recording reproducing and erasing information wherein a pulsating phenomenon where dielectric layer provided on the top and bottom of the recording thing film layer are thermally expanded, and contracted through the recording.erasing so that an inferior phenomenon of moving the recording thin film layer along the guiding groove in the disc rotating direction is considerably restrained, whereby, uneven thickness in the recording thin film layer is removed, thus making it possible to prevent the signal quality from being deteriorated, and the repeating characteristics of the recording.erasing operations are exceptionally improved.

Abstract: On one surface of a disk substrate, a first dielectric layer, a thin recording layer, a second dielectric layer and a reflecting layer are cumulatively formed. The second dielectric layer is thinner than the first dielectric layer and is 35-70 nm thick. The reflecting layer is 70-120 nm thick. The total thickness of the four layers is 250-430 nm. The compressive stress of the layers is offset by tensile stress generated by an overcoat resin protective layer, formed on the reflecting layer. A method of using the optical recording medium applies the MCAV (Modified Constant Angular Velocity) recording method which records information by changing recording frequencies in accordance with linear velocity. The linear velocity is 5-12 m/s. A ratio of an inner circumference recording pulse width to an outer circumference recording pulse width is 1.2 or more.

Abstract: On one surface of a disk substrate, a first dielectric layer, a thin recording layer, a second dielectric layer and a reflecting layer are cumulatively formed. The second dielectric layer is thinner than the first dielectric layer and is 35-70 nm thick. The reflecting layer is 70-120 nm thick. The total thickness of the four layers is 250-430 nm. The compressire stress of the layers is offset by tensile stress generated by an overcoat resin protective layer, formed on the reflecting layer. A method of using the optical recording medium applies the MCAV (Modified Constant Angular Velocity) recording method which records information by changing recording frequencies in accordance with linear velocity. The linear velocity is 5-12 m/s. A ratio of an inner circumference recording pulse width to an outer circumference recording pulse width is 1.2 or more.

Abstract: An optical recording medium capable of recording, reproducing and erasing information wherein a pulsating phenomenon where dielectric layer provided on the top and bottom of the recording thing film layer are thermally expanded, and contracted through the recording and erasing so that an inferior phenomenon of moving the recording thin film layer along the guiding groove in the disc rotating direction is considerably restrained, whereby, uneven thickness in the recording thin film layer is removed, thus making it possible to prevent the signal quality from being deteriorated, and the repeating characteristics of the recording and erasing operations are exceptionally improved.

Abstract: A reflecting film for use in an optical recording medium, which essentially consists of gold. The reflecting film also is capable of including a second reflecting layer essentially made of aluminum. An optical recording medium includes a recording film, the reflecting layer(s), an adhesive layer, and a cover layer for covering a surface of the adhesive layer, which are formed on one surface of a transparent substrate in this order.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium is disclosed in which the recording layer is a material capable of absorbing energy and being reversibly converted between a substantially non-crystalline or amorphous state and a substantially crystalline state. The recording layer is a Te-Ge-Sb composition which also contains nitrogen. The optical recording medium includes a substrate onto which is sequentially deposited a first dielectric layer, a nitrogen-containing recording layer, a second dielectric layer and a metallic reflecting layer. In order to control the sensitivity of the medium to laser irradiation, the second dielectric layer is graded in thickness and progressively becomes thicker as a function of increasing radius. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the reflecting layer is graded in thickness, and progressively becomes thinner as a function of increasing radius.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium is provided in which the active layer is a phase change material capable of absorbing energy and being converted between a substantially amorphous state and a substantially crystalline state. The active layer contains nitrogen, which may be in the form of a nitride or nitrides of the constituent elements of the active layer, or may be a nitrided surface thereof. The inclusion of nitrogen inhibits localized shifting of the active material, which leads to degradation of the recording/erase properties of the medium. The optical recording medium includes a substrate, onto which is deposited in sequence a first dielectric layer, a nitrogen-containing active layer, a second dielectric layer, and a metallic reflecting layer. The second dielectric layer is made thin, so that the cooling rate of the active layer is increased to form a more uniform amorphous state.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical information recording medium which comprises an active layer which undergoes phase change upon irradiation with light and protective layers formed on both the sides of the active layer, wherein the thermal capacity of the active layer which is a heat source is decreased, a reflection layer of high thermal conductivity is provided on the protective layer to cause increase of the coefficient of lines expansion of the protective layer with increase in distance from the active layer or the thickness of each layer is specified to make nearly the constant maximum temperature by irradiated light against a change in the thickness of the active layer.

Abstract: A method of depositing the layers of an optical recording medium to their requisite thicknesses is disclosed in which optical monitoring of the reflectivity of a first dielectric layer during deposition is used to determine the deposition rate. The reflectivity is monitored to determine the time period in which the reflectivity reaches a maximum or minimum value, which occurs when the layer is a quarter wave thick. The deposition rate is derived from that time period, and the deposition is continued for a time in accordance with the deposition rate until the requisite thickness of the first dielectric layer is obtained. The second dielectric layer is deposited for a lesser time period in accordance with the deposition rate which has been optically derived during deposition of the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium is provided in which the active layer is a phase change material capable of absorbing energy and being converted between a substantially amorphous state and a substantially crystalline state. The active layer contains nitrogen, which may be in the form of a nitride or nitrides of the constituent elements of the active layer, or may be a nitrided surface thereof. The inclusion of nitrogen inhibits localized shifting of the active material, which leads to degradation of the recording/erase properties of the medium. The optical recording medium includes a substrate, onto which is deposited in sequence a first dielectric layer, a nitrogen-containing active layer, a second dielectric layer, and a metallic reflecting layer. The second dielectric layer is made thin, so that the cooling rate of the active layer is increased to form a more uniform amorphous state.