Abstract: An inorganic resist layer made of an incomplete oxide of a transition metal is formed as a film onto a substrate by a sputtering method. A single element or alloy of the transition metal, or an oxide of them is used as a target material. Oxygen or nitrogen is used as a reactive gas. Oxygen concentration of the inorganic resist layer is made different in the thickness direction by changing a reactive gas ratio or a film forming power. A master disc (for an optical disc) in which fine concave/convex patterns such as pits, grooves, and the like have been formed by exposing and developing the inorganic resist layer is formed. Since sensitivity rises with an increase in oxygen concentration, the sensitivity can be made different in the thickness direction of the inorganic resist layer and the concave/convex shapes of different depths can be formed on the same disc.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing an optical disk master and an optical disk, including measuring the reflectance of laser light at each of a plurality of radius positions by applying the laser light to an optical disk master-forming substrate provided with an inorganic resist layer, the laser light having a non-recording laser power smaller than a recording sensitivity of the inorganic resist layer, producing recording power control data indicating recording laser powers in accordance with the radius positions of the optical disk master-forming substrate by using the reflectances measured, forming an exposure pattern on the inorganic resist layer by applying the laser light to the optical disk master-forming substrate on the basis of the recording power control data while the recording power is varied in accordance with the radius positions, and developing the inorganic resist layer provided with the exposure pattern so as to prepare an uneven pattern.

Abstract: In an optical device, a number of structures having higher portions or lower portions are arranged at a fine pitch equal to or shorter than a wavelength of visible light on a surface of a base. Each of the structures is arranged to form a plurality of arc track rows on the surface of the base, and to form a quasi-hexagonal lattice pattern, and the structure has an elliptical cone or truncated elliptical cone shape having a major axis in a circumferential direction of the arc tracks.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an information storage medium in which information is stored as a concave-convex pattern includes forming an inorganic-resist master disc by depositing on a substrate an inorganic resist layer reactive to thermal reaction associated with laser beam irradiation, recording on the inorganic-resist master disc by differentiating depths of thermal reaction portions in the inorganic resist layer by inputting information to be stored in the information storage medium and varying power of the laser beam striking the inorganic-resist master disc over at least three levels according to the input information, forming an information storage master disc having a concave-convex pattern in the inorganic resist layer by developing the recorded inorganic-resist master disc, forming a stamper to which the concave-convex pattern formed on the inorganic resist layer has been transferred on the basis of the information storage master disc, and forming the information storage medium using the stamper.

Abstract: In an optical device, a number of structures having higher portions or lower portions are arranged at a fine pitch equal to or shorter than a wavelength of visible light on a surface of a base. Each of the structures is arranged to form a plurality of arc track rows on the surface of the base, and to form a quasi-hexagonal lattice pattern, and the structure has an elliptical cone or truncated elliptical cone shape having a major axis in a circumferential direction of the arc tracks.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical disk master, a method for manufacturing an optical disk, and an apparatus for manufacturing an optical disk master are provided.

Abstract: An inorganic resist layer made of an incomplete oxide of a transition metal is formed as a film onto a substrate by a sputtering method. A single element or alloy of the transition metal, or an oxide of them is used as a target material. Oxygen or nitrogen is used as a reactive gas. Oxygen concentration of the inorganic resist layer is made different in the thickness direction by changing a reactive gas ratio or a film forming power. A master disc (for an optical disc) in which fine concave/convex patterns such as pits, grooves, and the like have been formed by exposing and developing the inorganic resist layer is formed. Since sensitivity rises with an increase in oxygen concentration, the sensitivity can be made different in the thickness direction of the inorganic resist layer and the concave/convex shapes of different depths can be formed on the same disc.