Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, record carrier and method of recording data on at least two layers of a recording medium by using a radiation power, wherein individual recording speeds are determined for respective ones of the at least two layers at different values of the radiation power. A recording speed to be used for recording on an individual one of the at least two recording layers is selected based on a maximum radiation power specified for the recording operation, and the speed of the recording operation is controlled individually for each of the at least two layers based on the selected recording speed. The determination of the individual recording speeds at different radiation power values may be written or embossed on the record carrier. Furthermore, a recording sequence used for recording on the recording layers can be set based on the sensitivities and thus recording speeds. Thereby, total recording time can be minimized for multi-layer recording media.

Abstract: A dual-stack optical data storage medium (10) for write-once recording using a focused radiation beam (9) having a wavelength ? of approximately 655 nm is described. The radiation beam enters through an entrance face (8) of the medium (10) during recording. The medium comprises at least one substrate (1, 7) with present on a side thereof: a first recording stack (6), named L0, comprising a write-once type L0 recording layer, said first recording stack L0 having an optical reflection value RL0 and an optical transmission value TL0, a second recording stack (3), named L1, comprising a write-once type L1 recording layer, said second recording stack L1 having an effective optical reflection value RL1eff. The first recording stack (6) is present at a position closer to the entrance face (8) than the second recording stack. (3). A transparent spacer layer (4) is sandwiched between the recording stacks (3, 6). The reflection values RL0 and RL1eff are within the following ranges: 0.12?RL0?0.18 and 0.12?RL1eff?0.

Abstract: A writable optical record carrier (100) comprising a plurality of recording layers LO, . . . , Ln-1 separated by a spacer material, each recording layer comprising an optimum power calibration area (101,111,121,131) having a first portion (102,112,122) with an average reflection value representative of a recorded layer and a second portion (113,123,133) with an average reflection value representative of an unrecorded layer, a method, and an apparatus for forming optimum power calibration areas on such a writable optical record carrier are presented. The optimum power calibration areas partially overlap such that the optimum power calibration areas of each pair of consecutive recording layers form a step, and the first portions of said plurality of recording layers have the form of a staircase. Each step formed by a pair of consecutive recording layers k, k+1 has a preferred minimum step size.

Abstract: A record carrier is for recording information by writing marks in a track on a recording layer. The shortest mark used for recording the information has a length of a predefined minimum number d of channel bit lengths. The record carrier (11) has a pregroove that is modulated by a carrier pattern containing focus marks (18,19) that provides a focus area (12) at a predefined location on the recording layer. The focus marks have lengths of at least two times the length of the shortest mark for being substantially longer than the effective diameter of the scanning spot. A scanning device locates the focus area and determines the best focus offset by detecting the maximum read signal amplitude while scanning the carrier pattern.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for recording information on a multi layer record carrier. The information is recorded on the record carrier according to special filling patterns, such that the record carrier is compatible with the DVD-ROM standard while the time required for closing a session and/or finalizing the disc is reduced. The information is substantially evenly distributed over the layers in blocks of a predefined amount of storage space. The size of these blocks may be flexible and set by the method or read from the record carrier.

Abstract: A record carrier is for recording information by writing marks in a track. The record carrier has at least a first recording layer (40) and a second recording layer (41). Each layer has a pregroove (14) indicating the position of the track and exhibiting a wobble modulated for representing physical address information. In addition the pregroove has a pregroove modulation (13) consituted by variations of a physical parameter related to the shape of the pregroove for encoding axiliary control information. In a scanning device the pregroove modulation is detected in the main detector signal by variations of the reflected radiation.

Abstract: A multilayer record carrier is for recording information by writing marks representing addressable blocks in a track. Each recording layer has a pre-formed recording control pattern for indicating the track, the pattern comprising physical addresses (59) that indicate the physical position of the physical address with respect to a starting point of the track. The predefined number of bits of the physical address indicates the physical position with respect to a starting point of the track. At least one address bit of the predefined number of address bits of the physical address is allocated as a layer address bit (60) that has a value indicating the recording layer. A recording device has a layer unit (34) for detecting a recording layer in dependence of the layer address bit.

Abstract: Recordable DVD+R and DVD+R/W optical discs with two (or more) information layers are developed to double the data storage capacity and video recording time. A method and device are proposed to make dual layer DVD disc recordings compliant with the dual layer DVD-ROM standard Recording the data in a DVD-ROM compliant way on the dual layer DVD+R or DVD+R/W disc is obtained by shifting the middle zone area towards the inner radius of a disc in such a way that the data zones of both layers are filled up with data.

Abstract: A record carrier is for recording information by writing marks in a track on a recording layer. The shortest mark used for recording the information has a length of a predefined minimum number d of channel bit lengths. The record carrier (11) has a pregroove that is modulated by a carrier pattern containing long marks (18,19) that provides a focus area (12) at a predefined location on the recording layer. The long marks have lengths of at least two times the length of the shortest mark for being substantially longer than the effective diameter of the scanning spot. A scanning device locates the focus area and determines the best focus offset by detecting the maximum read signal amplitude while scanning the carrier pattern.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data carrier comprising a first area (12) comprising a rewritable material, said first area being defined as a read-only area by means of type information recorded on said data carrier in an unerasable way.

Abstract: A rewritable optical record carrier comprising a first substrate carrying a first recording stack of layers, which recording stack comprises, a first dielectric layer, a recording layer comprising a phase-change recording material, a second dielectric layer, and a metal mirror layer. In order to achieve a maximum R*M said first dielectric layer has a thickness d1 in the range of 20 nm to 50 nm, and said second dielectric layer has a thickness d2 according to the relation 0.0225*d22?2.6572*d2+173.3 (nm)<d1<0.0225*d22?2.6572*d2+213.3 (nm) when the mirror layer comprises aluminum, or a thickness d2 according to the relationship 0.0191 *d22?2.0482*d2+149.6 (nm)<d1<0.0191*d22?2.0482*d2+189.6 (nm) when the mirror layer comprises silver.

Abstract: An optical data carrier disk reader is adapted for detecting a slope of a wall in a data track of an optical disk. An optical disk has pits (811, 812), having walls with at least two different steepnesses, in its data track. The steepness represents information written on the optical disk. A method for making an optical disk stamper (8) comprising exposing portions of a photo-sensitive layer to electro-magnetic radiation is also described. By controlling the variation of the focal point during exposure, the inclination of the walls between the bump (811, 812) or pit forming portions and the “land” forming portions of the surface of the optical disk stamper (8) can be controlled.