Abstract: A recording layer for an optical information recording medium, which has a high reflectance (initial reflectance) and excellent recording characteristics; an optical information recording medium comprising the recording layer; and a sputtering target useful for forming the recording layer. The recording layer for an optical information recording medium, on which recording is performed by irradiation of laser light, is characterized by containing indium (In) oxide and palladium (Pd) oxide which includes palladium monoxide and palladium dioxide. The recording layer for an optical information recording medium is also characterized in that the ratio of Pd atoms contained in the recording layer relative to the total of In atoms and Pd atoms contained therein is 6-60 atom %.

Abstract: The information recording medium (1) of the present invention includes a recording film (114, 124). The information recording medium (1) allows information to be recorded and reproduced on and from the information recording medium by irradiation of the recording film (114, 124) with a laser beam (18). The information recording medium (1) of the present invention further includes a mixed dielectric film (the second dielectric film 116, 126) disposed on the laser beam (18) incident side with respect to the recording film (114, 124). The mixed dielectric film contains a mixed dielectric material consisting of Zn sulfide, Si oxide and an oxide X (where the oxide X is an oxide of at least one element selected from Ti, Nb, Ta and Ce).

Abstract: The invention relates to a rewritable optical record carrier (100) comprising a recording stack (110) of layer (114), a recording layer comprising a phase-change recording material, and a second dielectric layer (116), having a thermal barrier layer (122) arranged adjacent to said first dielectric layer.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes: a substrate; an information signal layer provided on the substrate; and a protective layer provided on the information signal layer. The information signal layer is provided with a reflecting layer, a recording layer provided on the reflecting layer and first, second and third dielectric layers laminated successively on the recording layer. Refractive indexes of the first, second and third dielectric layers are different from each other between the adjacent dielectric layers to each other. Among the first, second and third dielectric layers, the dielectric layer having the highest refractive index contains, as a main component, at least one member selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, niobium oxide and a mixture of zinc sulfide and silicon oxide. The dielectric layer having the highest refractive index has a refractive index of 2.3 or more at a wavelength of 405 nm.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical recording medium, including: a substrate; and an information recording layer formed on the substrate, an information signal being recorded and reproduced in and from the information recording layer by radiation of a light; wherein the information recording layer includes a reflecting layer, a dielectric layer formed on the reflecting layer, and a recording layer formed on the dielectric layer, the dielectric layer includes a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer, and a thermal conductivity of the second dielectric layer located on the reflecting layer side is higher than that of the first dielectric layer located on the recording layer side.

Abstract: In an information recording medium that has an information layer which includes a recording layer capable of undergoing phase transition, the recording layer is formed from a material that contains Sb and S, and has composition represented by the formula (1): SbxS100-x (atomic %) where suffix x represents the proportion in atomic % that satisfies a relationship of 50?x?98.

Abstract: An information recording medium (1) of the present invention is an information recording medium allowing information to be recorded thereon by irradiation with a laser beam or by application of electrical energy. The information recording medium (1) includes a recording layer (15) capable of undergoing a phase change by the irradiation with the laser beam or by the application of the electrical energy. The recording layer (15) contains Sb, Te, Ge, and C, and a content of Te in the recording layer (15) is at least 8 atom % but not more than 25 atom %.

Abstract: An information recording medium (9) comprises an information layer (9a) in which concavo-convex marks are formed, and a recording layer (13), contained within the information layer (9a), in which added marks are formed by optical properties changing through laser irradiation, and that contains Te, O, and M (where M is at least one element selected from a group consisting of Pd, Au, Pt, Ag, Cu, and Ni). In this information recording medium (9), a pre-laser irradiation reflectance Ra and a post laser irradiation reflectance Rb fulfill 1.0<Rb/Ra<1.1.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a substrate having features that define track regions, an optical recording layer disposed on the substrate, and a light-transmitting layer disposed on the optical recording layer. The optical recording layer has a composition of (Sb2Se3)wTexOyPdz, where w, x, y, and z each represent a molar percent and satisfy 10 (mol %)?w?60 (mol %), 0 (mol %)<x?60 (mol %), 30 (mol %)?y?60 (mol %), 10 (mol %)?z?30 (mol %), and w+x+y+z=100.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium is provided and includes a supporting substrate, a light-transmissive protective layer, information recording layers, and at least one interlayer transparent to a laser beam having a wavelength of 400 to 410 nm. Among the information recording layers, one or a plurality of information recording layers other than the information recording layer closest to the supporting substrate each function as a semi-transmissive information recording layer that transmits the laser beam. Some or all of the one or the plurality of semi-transmissive information recording layer include, from the laser beam incident side, a first dielectric portion having a refractive index of 2.4 or more for the wavelength of the laser beam, a recording material portion having a thickness of at least 5.2 nm, a second dielectric portion, a metal portion having a thickness of at least 7 nm, and a third dielectric portion in that order.

Abstract: Phase change memory materials and more particularly GeAs telluride materials useful for phase change memory applications, for example, optical and electronic data storage are described.

Abstract: An information recording medium is at least composed of a substrate having a microscopic pattern constituted by a continuous substrate of grooves formed with a groove portion and a land portion alternately, a recording layer formed on the microscopic pattern for recording information, and a light transmitting layer formed on the recording layer. The microscopic pattern is formed with satisfying a relation of P??/NA, wherein P is a pitch of the land portion or the groove portion, ? is a wavelength of reproducing light for reproducing the recording layer, and NA is a numerical aperture of an objective lens. The land portion is formed with wobbling so as to be parallel with each other for both sidewalls of the land portion. An auxiliary information based on data used supplementally when recording the information and a reference clock based on a clock used for controlling a recording speed when recording the information is recorded alternately.

Abstract: An information recording medium is at least composed of a substrate having a microscopic pattern constituted by a continuous substrate of grooves formed with a groove portion and a land portion alternately, a recording layer formed on the microscopic pattern for recording information, and a light transmitting layer formed on the recording layer. The microscopic pattern is formed with satisfying a relation of P??/NA, wherein P is a pitch of the land portion or the groove portion, ? is a wavelength of reproducing light for reproducing the recording layer, and NA is a numerical aperture of an objective lens. The land portion is formed with wobbling so as to be parallel with each other for both sidewalls of the land portion. An auxiliary information based on data used supplementally when recording the information and a reference clock based on a clock used for controlling a recording speed when recording the information is recorded alternately.

Abstract: An information recording medium (100) of the present invention is an information recording medium that allows information to be recorded thereon by being irradiated with an optical beam or by being applied with electrical energy, and includes at least a recording layer (115) whose phase can change. The recording layer (115) contains antimony (Sb), carbon (C), and a light element (L) having an atomic weight of less than 33. The light element (L) preferably is at least one element selected from B, N, O, Mg, Al, and S. For example, the recording layer (115) may be composed of a material represented by a composition Sb100-x-yCxLy, where the subscripts 100-x-y, x, and y denote composition ratios of Sb, C, and the L in atomic percentage, respectively, and x and y satisfy x+y?50.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium (9) of the present invention is an optical information recording medium including: N information layers, where N is a natural number of 2 or more; and an intermediate layer for separating the N information layers optically from each other. With the N information layers being referred to as a first information layer (10) to an N-th information layer (7) sequentially from an optical beam incident side, a first information layer (10) corresponding to an L-th information layer included in the N information layers includes a recording layer (104) on which information can be recorded by irradiation with an optical beam, a reflective layer (108), and a transmittance adjusting layer (109) in this order from the optical beam incident side, where L is an at least one natural number that satisfies 1?L?N?1. The transmittance adjusting layer (109) contains tungsten (W) and oxygen (O).

Abstract: In an optical information recording medium of the present invention, at least one information layer provided on a transparent substrate includes a protective layer and a write-once recording layer that are disposed in this order from the transparent substrate side. The recording layer contains at least one selected from Cr—O, Zn—O, Ga—O, In—O, Sn—O, Sb—O, Bi—O, and Te—O. The protective layer contains at least one selected from Cr—O, Zn—O, Ga—O, In—O, Sn—O, Sb—O, Bi—O, and Te—O. When the total amount of all the atoms other than oxygen atoms contained in the protective layer is taken as 100 atom %, the total amount of atoms of Cr, Zn, Ga, In, Sn, Sb, Bi, and Te in the protective layer is at least 70 atom %.

Abstract: Provided is an optical recording medium comprising a substrate and a reflective layer, a first dielectric layer, a recording layer, a second dielectric layer and a light-transmission layer formed in this order on the substrate. The recording layer is decomposable by heat at a time of recording to achieve recording of the optical recording medium, and the optical recording medium further comprises a third dielectric layer between the second dielectric layer and the light-transmission layer.

Abstract: An information recording medium is provided that has high recording sensitivity and high erasability, even when a recording layer thereof is as thin as about 3 nm. An information recording medium 15 on which information can be recorded by applying light or electrical energy has at least a recording layer 104 that undergoes phase change, while the recording layer 104 contains at least one element selected from among Zn, Si and C, and Sb in total proportion of 85 atomic % or more and has a composition preferably represented by the formula Sb100-a1M1a1 (atomic %) (wherein M1 represents at least one element selected from among Zn, Si and C, and a1 is a proportion in terms of atomic % that satisfies a relationship of 0<a1?50).

Abstract: An information recording medium ensuring high recording and erase function and excellent archival characteristic at a high linear velocity and over a wide range of linear velocities is provided. Such a medium is obtained by constructing a recording layer which has a composition that can generate phase change as a whole, of a first through an M-th constituent layers (wherein M is an integer of 2 or greater) which are stacked in a thickness direction, such that elemental compositions of contiguous an m-th constituent layer and a (m+1)th constituent layer are different from each other (wherein m is an integer and satisfies 1?m?M) assuming that the constituent layer located at an m-th position from a laser light incident side is the m-th constituent layer. In this information recording medium, at least one m-th constituent layer constituting the recording layer preferably includes at least one element selected from Te, Bi, Sb, Ge, In, Ga, Al, Sn, Pb, Se and Si.

Abstract: An optical recording medium contains a recording layer being composed of a phase-change recording material where at least four elements, Ga, Sb, Sn and Ge are contained and the transfer linear velocity is 20 m/s to 30 m/s, and when the wavelength of a recording/reproducing light is within the range of 650 nm to 665 nm and the recording linear velocity is 20 m/s to 28 m/s, the refractive index Nc and the extinction coefficient Kc in a crystalline state and the refractive index Na and the extinction coefficient Ka in an amorphous state in the recording layer respectively satisfy the following numerical expressions: 2.0?Nc?3.0, 4.0?Kc?5.0, 4.0?Na?5.0, and 2.5?Ka?3.1, and information is recordable at the range of 20 m/s to 28 m/s of recording linear velocity.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium, recording/reproducing method thereof, and recording/reproducing apparatus with superior signal quality for high-density recording that has high storage reliability is provided. The optical information recording medium has at least one information layer having a recording layer and a dielectric layer in order on a transparent substrate. The dielectric layer is comprised of greater than or equal to 50 molecule percent and less than or equal to 98 molecule percent of Zn—O, and greater than or equal to 2 molecule percent to less than or equal to 50 molecule percent of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of Y—O, Ce—O, Nb—O, Ta—O, Cr—O and Mo—O.

Abstract: A high density information storage medium includes a recording layer in which information is stored; a thin metal film placed on the recording layer and having a structure in which nano-apertures having a size of several nanometers to several hundred nanometers are defined at regular intervals; and a protective layer placed on the thin metal film. As light irradiated from above the protective layer passes through the nano-apertures, physical characteristics of the recording layer are changed, whereby information is stored.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of optical information recording. According to the invention, an optical storage structure is proposed comprising a substrate equipped with physical marks whose geometrical configuration defines the recorded information, a superposition of three layers on top of the substrate marks, and a transparent protective layer on top of this superposition, the superposition comprising a layer of indium or gallium antimonide inserted between two ZnS/SiO2 dielectric layers. The antimonide layer has a polycrystalline structure with an average crystal grain size between 5 and 50 nanometers. The non-linear behavior of the superposition of three layers under the read laser makes it possible to read information having a size below the theoretical resolution of the reading system.

Abstract: An information recording medium of the present invention includes N information layers on a substrate (1), where N is an integer of 2 or more. Information is recorded/reproduced by irradiating each of the information layers (11, 12) with a laser beam (4). When the N information layers are referred to as a first information layer to an N-th information layer sequentially from the opposite side to a laser beam incident side, the L-th information layer included in the N information layers includes at least a recording layer (135) capable of undergoing a phase change through laser beam irradiation, a reflective layer (132), and a transmittance adjusting layer (131) in this order from the laser beam incident side, where L is an integer satisfying 2?L?N. The transmittance adjusting layer (131) contains Nb, oxygen (O), and at least one element M selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, Y, Cr, Zn, Ga, Co, Bi, In, Ta, and Ce. In the transmittance adjusting layer (131), the content of Nb is at least 2.9 atom %.

Abstract: A multi-layered phase-change optical recording medium having a first substrate and a second substrate, and a plurality of information layers, wherein each of thermal diffusion layers of information layers other than an information layer disposed at the innermost side as viewed from the first substrate side has In oxide, Zn oxide, Sn oxide and Si oxide, and when the contents of thereof are represented by “a”, “b”, “c” and “d” [mol %] respectively, the following requirements are satisfied, and when the refractive index of the first and second substrates was represented by “n”, the laser light wavelength is represented by “?” and the depth of the groove guide of the first and second substrates is represented by H, the H satisfied the following requirement, 3?a?50 0?d?30 a+b+c+d=100 ?/17n?H??/11.5n.

Abstract: An optical recording medium having first protective layer, recording layer, second protective layer, and reflective layer, wherein the recording layer contains a phase-change material represented by Formula (1?1), Formula (1-2), or Formula (1-3); the second protective layer contains one selected from zinc oxides, indium oxides, tin oxides, mixtures thereof, and materials Formula (2), and materials Formula (3). Formula (1?1): In?iSb?iX1?i(X1: Ge, Te, Zn, Mn, or mixture thereof, 0.10??1?0.25, 0.65??1?0.80, and 0.04??1?0.15) Formula (1-2): Ga?2Sb?2SnY2Ges2X2?2 (X2: Te, Zn, Mn, In, or mixture thereof, 0.04??2?0.09, 0.56?62?0.79, 0.05??2<0.30, 0.03??2?0.19, and 0??2?0.09) Formula (1-3): Mn?3Sb?3SnY3Ge?3X3?3 (X3: Te, In, Zn, Bi, or mixture thereof, 0.04??3?0.09, 0.56?63?0.79, 0.05??3?0.29, 0.03??3?0.23, and 0??3?0.09) Formula (2): ZnO—Al—Y [(100??4?64):?4:?4] (Y: Mn, Ge, Ti, or mixture thereof, 0.5??4?10.0, and 0?B4?25.

Abstract: An information recording medium, 15 capable of recording information by irradiation of light or applying electrical energy, wherein at least one of first and second dielectric layers 102, 106, first interface layer and counter-incident side interface layer 103, 105 is formed from a Si—In—Zr/Hf—O-based material containing at least Si, In, M1 (M1 represents at least one element selected from among Zr and Hf) and oxygen (O), with Si content being 1 atomic % or more. This medium has high recording sensitivity when information is recorded thereon, high overwrite cycle-ability and high signal intensity.

Abstract: A two-layered optical recording medium which includes a first substrate, a first information layer, a second information layer, and a second substrate formed in this order as viewed from the light beam irradiation side, the first information layer includes a first lower dielectric layer, a first recording layer, a first upper dielectric layer, a first reflective layer, and an inorganic dielectric layer formed in this order as viewed from the light beam irradiation side; the second information layer includes a second lower dielectric layer, a second recording layer, a second upper dielectric layer, and a second reflective layer formed in this order as viewed from the light beam irradiation side; and the first reflective layer is made of Cu with a content of 99.8% by mass to 95.0% by mass and one or more metals selected from Ta, Nb, Zr, Ni, Cr, Ge, Au, and Mo.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium having the same recording volume as that of DVD-ROM is obtained which shows excellent characteristics at recording linear velocities within a range of twice linear velocity of DVD (about 8.2 m/s) to five times liner velocity of DVD (about 20.5 m/s) and excellent archival stability, by a construction including a transparent substrate, a recording layer which is formed on the substrate directly or with another layer interposed therebetween and can change in phase reversibly by a laser beam irradiation, wherein the composition of the recording layer is within a region bounded by composition points A(41.2, 7.4, 51.4), B(39.8, 10.5, 49.7), C(28.5, 21.7, 9.8), and D(30.6, 15.8, 53.6) in a triangular coordinate graph represented with a coordinate of (Ge, Sb—Bi, Te) and a Bi content in the recording layer is 4 atom % and more and less than 13 atom %.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium that can simultaneously achieve both a high transmittance and high signal quality of an information layer, improve the reliability of long-term conservation, and reduce the manufacturing cost, and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. In an optical information recording medium including at least one information layer on a substrate, at least one of the information layers has a recording layer and a dielectric layer, the recording layer contains Te, O, and M (M is one or a plurality of elements selected from Au, Pd, and Pt) as major components, the dielectric layer has a thermal conductivity of 0.01 W/K·cm or more, and the dielectric layer has an extinction coefficient of 0 through 1.0 inclusive.

Abstract: The information recording medium of the present invention is provided with a substrate and an information layer including a recording layer. Rerecording and reproducing of information are performed by irradiating the information layer with a laser beam. The recording layer contains, as its main component, a material composed of Te, O, and M, where M denotes at least one element selected from Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Au. In the material, the content of Te atom is 1 to 19 atom %, the content of O atom is 20 to 70 atom % (preferably 40 to 70 atom %), the content of M atom is 11 to 79 atom % (preferably 11 to 59 atom %, and more preferably more than 35 atom %). The material is, for example, is indicated as the region enclosed by A, B, C, and D, preferably by C, D, E, and F, and more preferably by E, F, H, and G, in the composition diagram of a ternary material of Te—O—Pd shown in FIG. 1.

Abstract: An information recording medium of the present invention includes recording layers 19 and 26 whose phase can change by an optical or an electrical system so as to be detectable, and interface layers 18, 20, 25 and 27, which are in contact with the recording layers 19 and 26, to serve as oxide layers. The recording layer 19 contains a Ge—Bi—Te-M material represented by a formula: Ge?Bi?Te?M100-?-?-? (atom %), where M denotes at least one element selected from Al, Ga, In and Mn, and ?, ? and ? satisfy 25???60, 0<??18, 35???55, and 82??+?+?<100. The interface layers 18, 20, 25 and 27 contain at least one oxide of the element M contained in the recording layers 19 and 26.

Abstract: A write-once information recording medium having a high recording sensitivity and reliability with respect to long-term storage is provided. The information recording medium has a recording layer on a substrate, to which information can be recorded and from which information can be reproduced by irradiating the recording layer with laser light or applying electrical energy to the recording layer. The recording layer contains, as its primary components, TeO2 and a material A, where the material A is a material that exhibits a eutectic reaction with TeO2.

Abstract: An optical data storage system and method with non-destructive multiple readout of 3-D data stored in multiple layers uses two-photon induced fluorescence modulation. The novel system uses the photochromic properties of the open and closed form of diarylethene in the two-photon energy transfer-based read-out method of a 3-D optical data storage system, providing more than 10,000 readout cycles without significantly compromising the stored data. The system of the present invention can be recorded and read out using the same wavelength simply by changing the intensities. Also, since the incident intensity used in two-photon readout is low due to the efficient absorption of the two-photon absorbing fluorene dye, a less expensive, nanosecond laser diode can be used, making this two-photon 3-D data storage system less expensive, stable, highly responsive, and reliable. This photochromic system is capable of either write-once read many (WORM) or erasable and rewritable 3D optical data storage.

Abstract: A next-generation optical recording medium has two or more information layers which include a translucent information layer. The translucent information layer has a recording film and an interface layer, provided adjacent to the recording film on the side of the light incident surface. The recording film is made of a phase change material having SbxTeyGez elements and elemental ratios. Y satisfies 5?y?15 and z satisfies 5?z?15. When In having an elemental ratio of a is further added and x+y+z+a=100 holds, a satisfies 4?a?15. The interface layer comprises of ZrO2—Cr2O3 film thickness of which is in a range of from 2 nm to 10 nm. When ZrO2:Cr2O3?C:D (mol %), the compositional ratios ZrO2 and Cr2O3 in the ZrO2—Cr2O3 film, holds, the C satisfies 20?C?90, and the D satisfies 10?D?80, and the C and the D satisfy C+D=100. The ZrO2 is stabilized ZrO2 which contains Y2O3, when ZrO2:Y2O3=(100?X):X (mol %), the compositional ratios ZrO2 and Y2O3 in the stabilized ZrO2, holds, the X satisfies 2?X?10.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a write-once type information storage medium using a recording material which has a low to high characteristic that a light reflectivity in a recording mark increases with respect to a non-recording area and which has a recording characteristic in accordance with a principle of recording without substrate deformation, wherein the recording material includes at least an organic metal complex, and wherein the organic metal complex includes a center metal.

Abstract: In each of at least two information layers (1, 2) which constitute a information recording medium having a plurality of information layers on its one side, the compositions of the recording layer (7) and the dielectric layers (6, 8) adjacent to the recording layer (7) in one information layer (1) are common to the compositions of the corresponding layers (12, 11, 13) in the other information layer, so that the recording layers (7, 12) and the dielectric layers (6, 11) and (8, 13) in the two information layers (1, 2) can be formed in common sputtering film-forming chambers without the replacement of targets, which makes it possible to produce a multi-layer single-sided recording medium with a decreased time loss in the production process.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided which includes two or more information layers in which an Sb-based eutectic material is used as the material for a recording film of a translucent information layer. There is also provided a recording film material for the optical recording medium. The translucent information layer is configured to include a recording film formed of a phase change material SbxGeyInz containing Sb, Ge, and In in an atomic ratio of x:y:z, where 5?y?15 and 4?z?15 are satisfied. The recording film further includes Te in an atomic ratio of a, provided that x+y+z+a=100 and 4?a?15 are satisfied. An interface layer formed of a ZrO2—Cr2O3 film having a thickness of 2 nm or more and 10 nm or less is provided on the laser beam incident side of the recording film. When the compositional ratio of the ZrO2—Cr2O3 film is given by ZrO2:Cr2O3=B:C (mol %), 20?B?90, 10?C?80, and B+C=100 are satisfied.

Abstract: The invention relates to a master substrate, a method for making a high density relief structure, and optical discs replicated with the high-density relief structure, the master substrate comprising a substrate layer (10) and a recording stack deposited on the substrate layer, the recording stack comprising:—an information layer (12),—an interface layer (11) sandwiched between said information layer and the substrate , forming marks and spaces representing an encoded data pattern, wherein said recording material is an alloy comprising at least two materials of the group of materials containing Ge, Sb, Te, In, Se, Bi, Ag, Ga, Sn, Pb, As. A very high-density relief structure is achieved.

Abstract: A thin film for a reflection film or a semi-transparent reflection film, which has a compound phase comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a nitride, an oxide, a complex oxide, a nitroxide, a carbide, a sulfide, a chloride, a silicide, a fluoride, a boride, a hydride, a phosphide, a selenide and a telluride of gallium, palladium or copper, dispersed in a matrix formed of silver or a silver alloy. The compound phase in the thin film may include at least one compound selected from the group consisting of nitride, oxide, complex oxide, nitroxide, carbide, sulfide, chloride, silicide, fluoride, boride, hydride, phosphide, selenide and telluride of silver. The thin film of the present invention minimizes the deterioration of the reflectance even after a long period of use, and can prolong the life of various devices which use the thin film as a reflection film, such as an optical recording medium and a display.

Abstract: An information recording medium is at least composed of a substrate having a microscopic pattern constituted by a continuous substrate of grooves formed with a groove portion and a land portion alternately, a recording layer formed on the microscopic pattern for recording information, and a light transmitting layer formed on the recording layer. The microscopic pattern is formed with satisfying a relation of P??/NA, wherein P is a pitch of the land portion or the groove portion, ? is a wavelength of reproducing light for reproducing the recording layer, and NA is a numerical aperture of an objective lens. The land portion is formed with wobbling so as to be parallel with each other for both sidewalls of the land portion. An auxiliary information based on data used supplementally when recording the information and a reference clock based on a clock used for controlling a recording speed when recording the information is recorded alternately.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information recording medium with high reliability and excellent repeated rewriting performance even when no interface layer is formed and a method for manufacturing the same. Accordingly, the information recording medium for carrying out recording and/or reproducing by light irradiation or electric energy application has a material layer containing at least one element selected from a group GM consisting of Sn and Ga, at least one element selected from a group GL consisting of Ta and Y, and oxygen.

Abstract: To provide a sputtering target for preparing a recordable optical recording medium characterized by comprising Bi and B and a manufacturing method thereof, a recordable high density optical recording medium using the sputtering target, and a sputtering target which is capable of improving a speed of the film formation for the improvement of productivity, which has a high intensity at the time of the film formation and which has a heightened packing density.

Abstract: There is provided a dielectric material containing no sulfur (S), and there is provided an information recording medium that affords high signal quality and excellent recording sensitivity and repeated rewrite characteristics, even though no interface layer is provided between a reflective layer and a dielectric layer. To this end, the present invention is an information recording medium that is equipped with at least a recording layer and undergoes phase change when the recording layer is irradiated with a laser beam or when current is applied, comprising an oxide-fluoride dielectric layer that includes indium (In), an element M1 (where M1 is at least one element selected from among Zr, Hf, Y, Ti, Nb, Ta, Cr, Ga, and Si), oxygen (O), an element M2 (where M2 is at least one element selected from among La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, Mg, Ca, and Sr), and fluorine (F).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, in a phase change optical disk which has a substrate and a multi-layered including an interference film, phase change recording film, interface film, and reflecting film, and in which information is reversibly recorded in or erased from the recording film by using light, an element (e.g., Ge or Te) forming the phase change recording film has segregation or a concentration distribution in the thickness direction of the recording film from a portion in contact with the phase change recording film.

Abstract: An information recording medium includes a substrate and an information layer formed on the substrate. The information layer includes a recording layer whose phase can be changed between a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase by irradiation with a laser beam or application of electric energy; a Cr-containing layer including at least Cr and O, arranged in contact with a first surface of the recording layer; and a Ga-containing layer including at least Ga and O, arranged in contact with a second surface of the recording layer.

Abstract: A rewritable optical recording medium including: a substrate having a guide groove formed thereon, a phase-change type recording layer, a portion in a crystalline state of the phase-change type recording layer corresponds to an unrecorded or erased state, and a portion in an amorphous state of the phase-change type recording layer corresponds to a recorded state, so that an amorphous mark corresponding to the recorded state is formed upon irradiation with a recording laser beam. The phase-change type recording layer contains Sb as a main component, and further contains Ge and/or Te, a content of Ge is from 1 atomic % to 30 atomic %, and a content of Te is from 10 atomic % to 30 atomic %, and in the phase-change type recording layer, Sb/Te is at least 4.5, and the atomic ratio of Ge to Te is from 1:3 to 1:20.

Abstract: An information recording medium with high recording sensitivity, superior repeat overwriting capability and favorable signal storage stability during information recording is offered. For this purpose, an information recording medium comprises one or more information layers that include a phase-change recording layer, wherein at least one of the information layers includes, a Cr-containing layer containing Cr and O that contact with one side of a surface of the recording layer, and an In-containing layer containing In and O that contact with the other side of the surface of the recording layer.

Abstract: An information recording medium ensuring high recording and erase function and excellent archival characteristic at a high linear velocity and over a wide range of linear velocities is provided. Such a medium is obtained by constructing a recording layer which has a composition that can generate phase change as a whole, of a first through an M-th constituent layers (wherein M is an integer of 2 or greater) which are stacked in a thickness direction, such that elemental compositions of contiguous an m-th constituent layer and a (m+1)th constituent layer are different from each other (wherein m is an integer and satisfies 1?m?M) assuming that the constituent layer located at an m-th position from a laser light incident side is the m-th constituent layer. In this information recording medium, at least one m-th constituent layer constituting the recording layer preferably includes at least one element selected from Te, Bi, Sb, Ge, In, Ga, Al, Sn, Pb, Se and Si.

Abstract: Phase-change type, reversible optical information recording medium, being possible for recording, reproducing, erasing, and rewriting of information, by use of a laser beam. This invention, consists of recording thin film of ternary elements, for example, containing Ge, Te, Sb/or Bi or quaternary elements containing the fourth element of Se with which a part of Te is replaced, which is established on such surface—flat substrates as glass or plastics. In this case, the component ratio of Te and Se is selected not to be excess for other elements, such as Ge, Sb/or Bi so as to be fixed as stable compounds of stoichiometric compositions of GeTe, Sb2Te3/or Bi2Te3, or GeSe, Sb2Se3/Bi2Se3 when crystallized. Strictly speaking, a concentration of each component is selected to have proper ratio of the number of atoms each other so as to represent whole composition as the sum of each component. By this treatment, it is possible to have high crystallization speed and long cyclability of recording/erasing.