Abstract: A cantilever for a scanning probe microscope comprises a lever section and a probe section disposed near the free end thereof. The probe section includes a conical distal end portion having a narrow point angle and a bulging proximal end portion continuous with the distal end portion. The cantilever is manufactured by utilizing a semiconductor process.

Abstract: An erasable optical information recording medium has a transparent substrate, and a recording layer supported by the substrate. The recording layer includes a thin film of at least one polydiacetylene having side chains. The polydiacetylene is capable of undergoing a reversible planar-nonplanar transition of the main chain structure of the polydiacetylene due to a conformational change of the side chains produced by irradiation of light. When the recording layer is irradiated with light, the reversible planar-nonplanar transition occurs at the irradiated portions to cause a corresponding change of optical properties of the recording layer, thereby recording information thereinto and erasing information therefrom.

Abstract: An optical recording medium such as an optical disk, which is capable of reversibly repeating a recording/erasing cycle. This optical recording medium comprises a transparent substrate and recording layer formed on the substrate. This recording layer comprise a liquid crystalline high polymer having side chains and a dyestuff having a recording-light absorbing property. The side chain may preferably comprises mesogen group, a monocyclic or polycyclic compound such as phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl or anthryl group, and alkyl or aryl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms.