Abstract: An optical recording and reading method capable of enhancing the design flexibility of recording layers of an optical recording medium and performing accurate optical recording and reading operations. A basic recording layer is arranged in a position that is in the range of 90 ?m to 110 ?m away from a light incident surface of an optical recording medium, and recording layers are arranged in parallel with the basic recording layer. At least the position information of the recording layers is recorded in one of the basic recording layer and the recording layers.

Abstract: A plating method and apparatus for a substrate fills a metal, e.g., copper, into a fine interconnection pattern formed in a semiconductor substrate. The apparatus has a substrate holding portion 36 horizontally holding and rotating a substrate with its surface to be plated facing upward. A seal material 90 contacts a peripheral edge portion of the surface, sealing the portion in a watertight manner. A cathode electrode 88 passes an electric current upon contact with the substrate. A cathode portion 38 rotates integrally with the substrate holding portion 36. An electrode arm portion 30 is above the cathode portion 38 and movable horizontally and vertically and has an anode 98 face-down. Plating liquid is poured into a space between the surface to be plated and the anode 98 brought close to the surface to be plated. Thus, plating treatment and treatments incidental thereto can be performed by a single unit.

Abstract: In an information recording medium according to the present invention, a recording layer, a first layer, and a second layer are formed so that a thermal conductivity of the first layer that contacts one surface of the recording layer and a thermal conductivity of the second layer that contacts another surface of the recording layer are both lower than a thermal conductivity of the recording layer and a track pitch is in a range of 0.1 ?m to 0.5 ?m, inclusive.

Abstract: A write-once high density optical recording medium capable of a high speed recording that effectively forms space between recording marks. A recording layer 18 of a high speed write-once optical recording medium 10 is formed by laminating a first sub recording layer 18A and a second sub recording layer 18B each containing a metal as its main component. When the recording layer (laminated recording layer) 18 is irradiated with a laser beam, the main component metals contained in the first and second sub recording layers 18A, 18B diffuse and are mixed together by means of the irradiation, thereby forming recording marks whose reflectance have been irreversibly changed due to such mixing. At this time, after an irradiation using a laser beam for forming recording marks, a power level P1 lower than a read power is maintained for a predetermined time Ti.

Abstract: When there is a defect area in a specific recording layer, recording of information is continued and reduction in a recording rate is restrained. In an optical recording method for recording information on a multilayer optical recording medium having a plurality of recording layers by irradiating the recording layer with a beam spot, any recording layer is set as an escape recording layer. When a defect area is detected while information is recorded on another recording layer except for the escape recording layer, the beam spot moves to the escape recording layer to continue recording the information.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrolytic processing apparatus which is capable of increasing an in-plane uniformity of a film thickness of a plated film by making more uniform an electric field distribution over an entire surface to be processed of a substrate even if the substrate has a large area, and controlling more uniformly a speed, over the entire surface to be processed of the substrate.

Abstract: An information recording medium according to the present invention includes a recording layer that is formed of a single layer of a single type of recording material and is directly sandwiched by a pair of resin layers, the information recording medium being constructed so that at least one resin layer out of the pair of resin layers deforms due to deformation of the recording layer that is caused by irradiation with laser light for recording data and a track pitch is in a range of 0.1 ?m to 0.5 ?m, inclusive, wherein the pair of resin layers are formed with respective Young's moduli in a range of 415 MPa to 7100 MPa, inclusive.

Abstract: An optical recording medium comprising: a substrate 11; and a recording layer 12, formed on substrate 11; and characterized in that recording layer 12 contains palladium oxide as the main component and contains oxygen at an amount of 19 atom % to 61 atom %.

Abstract: In a multilayer optical recording medium having three or more recording layers, when data is recorded on a recording layer far away from an incident surface of laser light, and especially on a recording layer farthest away from the incident surface of the laser light, by applying the laser light, the recording power margin of the farthest recording layer allows for a variation in the optimal recording sensitivity even if the transmittance of the recording layers located between the laser light incident surface side and the target recording layer is varied due to existing recordings and the amount of the laser light passing therethrough is also varied. In this case, the recording layer which is the farthest from an incident surface of laser light has a phase change recording film, and the recording layer which is the nearest from the incident surface of the laser light has a write-once read-multiple recording film.

Abstract: A multilayer recording medium has a three-layered structure for an increased capacity, including an L0 layer, an L1 layer, and an L2 layer in order from the side farthest away from the incident surface of laser light. The recording layers are made of respective recording film materials selected so that the recording films of the recording layers have respective recording-reaction temperatures T0, T1, and T2, where T0?T1?T2 and T0<T2. This makes the recording sensitivities of the respective recording layers substantially the same and, by extension, the optimal recording powers of the laser light for the respective recording layers substantially the same so that the recording power of the laser light necessary for recording information on the L0 layer in particular is prevented from becoming excessively high.

Abstract: An optical recording medium has a five-layer structure including five recording layers, namely an L0 layer, an L1 layer, an L2 layer, an L3 layer, and an L4 layer in this order from a side farthest away from a laser light incident surface. The materials of the respective recording layers are selected so that the rate of change in transmittance Tb/Ta as taken from the laser light incident surface satisfies 0.93<Tb/Ta<1.07 when recording on the L0 layer among the recording layers, where: Ta is transmittance of laser light to reach the L0 layer when the L0 layer is irradiated with the laser light of optimum recording power after recording marks are formed on all the recording layers closer to the laser light incident surface (being the L1 to L4 layers); and Tb is transmittance of laser light to reach the L0 layer when the L0 layer is irradiated with the laser light of optimum recording power with no recording mark formed on any of the recording layers closer to the laser light incident surface.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium which makes it possible to reduce the noise level, improve the C/N ratio and store record data for a long time period. An optical information recording medium has a recording layer formed on a substrate, for having a laser beam irradiated thereto for recording and reproduction of record data. The recording layer includes a first sub-recording film and a second sub-recording film. The first sub-recording film is formed of a first material containing Si as the main component. The second sub-recording film is formed of a second material containing Al as the main component and having Au added thereto, and disposed in the vicinity of the first recording film. The laser beam is irradiated to the recording layer via a light transmitting layer formed in a manner covering the recording layer side.

Abstract: There is provided a plating apparatus and method which can control the temperature of a plating solution during plating more uniformly and easily form a uniform plated film on the to-be-plated surface of a workpiece, and which can simplify the device and decrease the footprint. The plating apparatus includes a plating bath having a double bath structure including an inner bath for holding a plating solution and carrying out plating, and an outer bath which surrounds the inner bath and is in fluid communication therewith. A heating device is disposed in the outer bath. The plating apparatus may further include means for circulating or stirring the plating solution in the plating bath.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium which is capable of performing high-density recording of record data, and storing the recorded data for a long time period such that the recorded data can be normally reproduced during the long time period. An optical information recording medium has a recording layer formed on a substrate, for having a laser beam irradiated thereto for recording and reproduction of record data. The recording layer includes a first sub-recording film and a second sub-recording film. The first sub-recording film is formed of a first material containing Si as the main component. The second sub-recording film is formed of a second material containing Cu as the main component and having Au added thereto, and disposed in the vicinity of the first recording film.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a substrate, a light transmission layer and a plurality of recording layers between the substrate and the light transmission layer and capable of recording data in the plurality of recording layers and reproducing data recorded in the plurality of recording layers by projecting a laser beam via the light transmission layer onto the plurality of recording layers, at least one recording layer other than a farthest recording layer from the light transmission layer including a reflective film containing Ag as a primary component and C as an additive. In the thus constituted optical recording medium, recording characteristics and reproducing characteristic of the respective recording layers can be improved.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium which makes it possible to reduce the noise level and improve the C/N ratio. An optical information recording medium has a recording layer formed on a substrate, for having a laser beam irradiated thereto for recording and reproduction of record data. The recording layer includes a first sub-recording film and a second sub-recording film. The first sub-recording film is formed of a first material containing Si as the main component. The second sub-recording film is formed of a second material containing Zn as the main component and having Cu added thereto, and disposed in the vicinity of the first recording film. The laser beam is irradiated to the recording layer via a light transmitting layer formed in a manner covering the recording layer side.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plating apparatus for a substrate which can plate a substrate under uniform pressure without increasing a load to be applied while holding the entire surface of a porous member in contact with the surface, to be plated, of the substrate. The plating apparatus for a substrate, includes: a substrate holder for holding a substrate; a cathode unit having a seal member for abutting against and sealing, in a water-tight manner, a peripheral portion of a surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a cathode electrode which is brought into contact with the substrate to supply current to the substrate.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a substrate, a light transmission layer and a plurality of recording layers between the substrate and the light transmission layer and capable of recording data in the plurality of recording layers and reproducing data recorded in the plurality of recording layers by projecting a laser beam via the light transmission layer onto the plurality of recording layers, at least one recording layer other than a farthest recording layer from the light transmission layer among the plurality of recording layers including a first recording film containing Si as a primary component and a second recording film located in the vicinity of the first recording film and containing Cu as a primary component. In the thus constituted optical recording medium, it is possible to record data in a farthest recording layer from the light transmission layer and reproduce data from the farthest recording layer in a desired manner.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided which includes a plurality of information layers having recording sensitivities close to each other and reflectivities close to each other, and a sufficient difference in reflectivity between a space portion and a recording mark, and provides a reduction in production costs. The optical recording medium includes a first and a second information layer. Recording marks thicker than a space portion are formed in the information layers. The recording layer of the first information layer which is placed far from an incident surface is thicker than the recording layer of the second information layer which is placed close to the incident surface. The total thickness of dielectric layers of the first information layer is smaller than the total thickness of dielectric layers of the second information layer. The first information layer is thinner than the second information layer.

Abstract: An optical recording/reproducing method and an optical recording medium capable of performing excellent optical recording with a simple structure in a recording layer made of environmentally friendly materials. The optical recording medium has a recording layer on a substrate. The recording layer has a pair of dielectric layers of which states are altered by a laser beam that is an energy beam of which intensity is modulated according to information to be recorded. This recording layer also has a state-change assisting layer sandwiched by these dielectric layers. The state-change assisting layer includes an element selected from Sn, Ti, Si, Bi, Ge, and C as a principle component, while the dielectric material as a base material for the dielectric layers is at least one of ZnS, SiO2, AlN, and Ta2O5.