Title of Invention

PHASE-CHANGE TYPE OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUM AND REPRODUCTION METHOD AND APPARATUS OF SUCH A RECORDING MEDIUM

Abstract A dual-layer structure phase-change type optical recording medium includes a substrate (1), a reflective layer (2), a first protective layer (3), a first recording layer (4), a second protective layer (5), a resin intermediate layer (6), a third protective layer (7), a heat release layer (8) made of Cu or a Cu alloy, a fourth protective layer (9), a second recording layer (10) , a fifth protective layer (11) and a cover substrate (12). A product of a reflectance of a high- reflection part and a modulation after recording is a value equal to or higher than a lower limit value for reproduction.
Full Text DESCRIPTION
PHASE-CHANGE TYPE OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUM AND
REPRODUCTION METHOD AND APPARATUS OF SUCH A RECORDING
MEDIUM
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention generally relates to
phase-change type optical recording media and, more
particularly, to a phase-change type optical recording
medium for high-density recording such as a rewritable
digital versatile disc (DVD) having a phase-change type
optical recording layer, and a reproduction method and
apparatus of the phase-change type optical recording
medium.
BACKGROUND ART
Generally, in a compact disc (CD) and a
digital versatile disc (DVD), binary signals are
recorded and tracking signals are detected by using a
change in a reflectance that is generated by
interference between lights from a bottom of a recessed
pit and a mirror surface portion. In recent years, a
phase-change type rewritable compact disc (CD-RW: CD-
Rewritable) has become widely used. Additionally,

various kinds of phase-change type rewritable DVD have
also been suggested. Further, while a capacity of a DVD
is 4.7 GB, a system high-density BD has been suggested,
which has a capacity of more than 20 GB by reducing a
recording and reproduction wavelength to 350 nm to 420
nm and increasing a numerical aperture NA (for example,
refer to Non-Patent Document 1). Additionally, in a
DVD-R, dual-layer media have been suggested and a
recording or reproduction apparatus compliant with the
dual-layer media has been achieved.
In the phase-change type rewritable CD, DVD
and BD, recording information signals are detected by
using a reflectance change and a phase-difference change
generated by a difference in refractive index between an
amorphous state and a crystal state. A normal phase-
change type recording medium has a structure in which a
lower protective layer, a phase-change type recording
layer, an upper protective layer and a reflection layer
are provided on a substrate. The reflectance difference
and the refractive index difference are controlled by
utilizing multiple interaction of those layers so as to
give compatibility with a CD or a DVD. In a CD-RW, a
compatibility of recording signals and groove signals
with a CD can be acquired within a range of a
reflectance reduced to 15% to 25%. Accordingly,

reproduction can be made by using a CD drive having an
amplification system that covers a low reflectance. It
should be noted that in the phase-change type optical
recording medium, erasure and rerecording can be
performed by intensity modulation of a single convergent
light beam. Thus, in a phase-change type optical
recording medium such as a CD-RW or a rewritable DVD,
recording may include overwriting (O/W) that
simultaneously performs recording and erasure in many
cases.
As for recording information using a phase
change, a crystal, an amorphous or a mixture of those
can be used, and also a plurality of crystal phases can
be used. In the phase-change type optical recording
media materialized at present, it is general that an
unrecorded or erasure state is made into a crystal state
and recording is made by forming marks of an amorphous
state.
As a material of a phase-change type recording
layer, a chalcogen element, i.e., a chalcogenide based
alloy containing S, Se and Te is used in many cases.
For example, they are a GeSbTe system containing a GeTe-
Sb2Te3 pseudo binary alloy as a major component, an
InSbTe system containing an InTe-Sb2Te3 pseudo binary
alloy as a major component, an AglnSbTe system

containing a Sb0.7Te0.3 eutectic alloy as a major
component, a GeSbTe system, etc. Among those, a system
in which superfluous Sb is added to the GeTe-Sb2Te3
pseudo binary alloy, especially an intermetallic
compound neighborhood composition such as Ge1Sb2Te4 or
Ge2Sb2Te5 is mainly put into practice. Those
compositions features crystallization without phase
separation that is peculiar to an intermetallic compound,
and is easily initialized since a crystal growth rate is
large and a recrystallization rate is large during
erasure. Thus, conventionally, as a recording layer
exhibiting a practical O/W characteristic, a pseudo
binary alloy system and an intermetallic compound
neighborhood composition attracted attention (for
example, refer to Non-Patent Document 2).
Moreover, conventionally, reports are made
regarding a recording layer composition, which is a
GeSbTe ternary composition or the ternary composition as
a matrix containing an additive element (for example,
refer to Patent Documents 1-4).
However, a material and a phase composition
dealing with the dual-layer media of a DVD-RW is in
future development, and there are many problems in
applying such a material and phase composition to an
optical recording medium for high-density recording such

as a rewritable BD.
There is suggested as a heat resistant
protective layer material a metal oxide such as ZnO or
ZrO, a carbide such as TiC or a mixture of the
aforementioned. However, there is no effect of
satisfying a recording and reproduction characteristic
in sulfide resistance while acquiring storage stability
(for example, refer to Patent Document 5).
Moreover, there is suggested a single
recording layer with a layer having a triple layer
composition of ZnS.SiO2/AlN/ZnS. SiO2 provided between the
recording layer and a substrate (for example, refer to
Non-Patent Document 3).
However, a total thickness of the layer cannot
be reduced after all.
Moreover, the applicant suggested a phase-
change type optical recording medium having a single
recording layer structure in which a first recording
composition layer, a resin intermediate layer and a
second recording layer provided on a substrate in that
order (refer to Patent Document 6). The first recording
composition layer consists of a heat release layer, a
first interface layer, a first protective layer, a first
recording layer and a second protective layer in that
order from a substrate side. The second recording

composition layer consists of a heat release layer, a
second interface layer, a fourth protective layer, a
second recording layer and a fifth protective layer in
that order from the resin intermediate layer side.
Moreover, there is suggested an optical
information medium having a first recording stack layer
and a second recording stack layer provided in that
order on one side of a substrate (for example, refer to
Patent Document 7). In this optical information medium,
the first recording stack layer consists of a recording
layer sandwiched between two dielectric material layers,
a transparent metal layer, and a further dielectric
layer on a side opposite to a side on which a laser
light beam is incident. The second recording stack
layer consists of a transparent spacer layer, a phase-
change type recording sandwiched between two dielectric
material layers, and a metal mirror layer on a side
opposite to a side on which the laser light beam is
incident. In this case, the first recording stack layer
has a thickness of 10 ran to 30 ran, and the metal layer
of the first recording stack layer is made of silver.
Moreover, the two recording layers are made of
recordable material, and both layers are sandwiched by
protective layers. Further, the thickness of the metal
layer is less than 10 nm and equal to or more than 2 nm.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent
Application No. 61-258787
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent
Application No. 62-152786
Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent
Application No. 1-63195
Patent Document 4: Japanese Laid-Open Patent
Application No. 1-211249
Patent Document 5: Japanese Laid-open Patent
Application No. 6-60426
Patent Document 6: Japanese Laid-Open Patent
Application No.
Patent Document 7: Japanese Laid-Open Patent
Application No. 2002-515623
Non-Patent Document 1: ISOM Technical
Digest, '00(2000), pp.210
Non-Patent Document 2: SPIE, vol. 2514 (1995),
pp.294-301
Non-Patent Document 3: ODS2001, Technical
Digest pp.28
US 2004/076908 does not teach or suggest the feature, viz., that each of the recording
layers contains a composition of Ge, Ag, Sb and Te in which the amount of Ge is 3 to 5
atomic %, and the amount of Ag is equal to or less than 8 atoms %.
US 7009930 does not disclose setting a start position of a focusing operation of an
objective lens of an optical pickup device so that a focal point of a light beam outgoing
from the objective lens is beyond a first recording structure layer.

However, although the above-mentioned phase-
change type optical recording media are easily
recordable with a short wavelength such as a blue laser
since the material absorbs a large amount of light of a
short wavelength, it is difficult to record the media

with a red wavelength since the material absorbs only a
small amount of light of the red wavelength. Thus, in a
medium having a single recording layer, a thick
reflection layer is provided so as to prevent a light
from transmitting therethrough so that the media is
easily recordable.
However, in a case where two recording layers
are provided, multi-layer recording cannot be performed
unless the first recording layer on the side where a
light is incident transmits about a half amount of the
light. Thus, if the first recording layer is made to
transmit the light therethrough, the first layer cannot
absorb a sufficient amount of light and it is difficult
to achieve recording. Since a red wavelength LD is
capable of emitting a light with a high power, one time
recording can be performed by applying a high power to
the medium. However, it is difficult to maintain an
overwrite (0/W) characteristic since the film tends to
be deteriorated by the high power being applied.
Additionally, if a recording sensitivity is raised so as
to be easily overwritten, there is a problem that
reliability with respect to temperature and humidity is
deteriorated.
In the meantime, DVDs currently on the market
are classified into a DVD (containing a dual-layer

structure) that is exclusive for reproduction, a DVD±R
(containing a dual-layer structure) that is recordable,
and a DVD±RW (only a single layer structure) containing
dual-layer structure) that is rewritable. Any of those
DVDs can be reproduced by a DVD video recorder or a DVD
player. However, presently, the rewritable DVD±RW is
materialized with only a single layer structure, and
recording time is about a half of that of a dual-layer
structure, which raises a problem in that long time
recording cannot be made. Thus, it is desirous to
develop a DVD+RW, which is rewritable and permits long
time recording.
However, a reflectance of a dual-layer
structure DVD+RW is only about one-third of that of a
recordable dual-layer structure DVD+R. Accordingly, the
dual-layer structure DVD±RW cannot be reproduced by a
present DVD video recorder or a DVD player. Thus, it is
necessary to devise in an information reproducing method
including a composition of a DVD.
In an optical disc apparatus technique, a
focus error signal (FE) and a track error signal (TE)
are normalized so as to perform a focus servo and a
track servo, and a technique for normalization is
suggested (for example, refer to Patent Document 8).
Specifically, Patent Document 8 discloses that a

summation signal from a divided light-receiving element
(hereinafter, referred to as PU) of an optical pickup
device is used as an original signal for normalizing a
servo signal such as a focus signal, a track signal, etc.
FIG. 1 shows an automatic gain control (AGC)
circuit used in a conventional optical disc apparatus.
In the AGC circuit, a plurality of signals VA, VB, VC
and VD from a PU are operated by a focus error (FE)
arithmetic circuit 101 to calculate FE=(A+C)-(B+D) and a
track error (TE) arithmetic circuit 102 to calculate
TE=(B+C)-(A+D). Additionally, SUM=(A+B+C+D) is
calculated by a SUM arithmetic circuit 103. A
normalization circuit comprises an AGCCNT circuit 104
and voltage control amplifiers (VCAs) 105. A gain of
each VCA 105 is set by the AGCCNT circuit 104 so that a
level of a SUM signal from the SUM arithmetic circuit
103 input to the AGCCNT circuit 104 is a constant
voltage. Specifically, for example, if it is set so
that the level of the SUM signal is 1 V, the gain of
each VCA 105 becomes equal to 1 (GAIN=1/SUM).
At this time, an AGC operation of the FE
signal and the TE signal is carried out as follows.
FEn=[(A+C)-(B+D)]/(A+B+C+D)
TEn=[ (B+C)-(A+D) ]/(A+B+C+D)
It is quite difficult to enlarge an AGC gain

range in each VCA 105, and about ±10 dB is appropriate.
Since the AGC amplifier is used for a servo signal, an
input offset cannot be fluctuated with respect to a gain
fluctuation. That is, an extremely small fluctuation is
required for a large gain range.
Patent Document 8: Japanese Laid-Open Patent
Application No. 2001-101680
Therefore, in the conventional optical disc
apparatus shown in FIG. 1, in order to take a large
range of the gain and to also reduce a fluctuation of an
offset, a circuit scale must be enlarged and there is a
problem that realization is difficult. Moreover,
although an input offset and an AGC gain error are small
at the center of the AGC range, the input offset and the
AGC gain error become large at the end of the AGC range.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present
invention to provide an improved and useful phase-change
type optical recording medium and reproduction method
and apparatus of such a recording medium in which the
above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present
invention is to provide a phase-change type optical
recording medium having a dual-layer structure, which

causes recording and reproduction to be performed easier.
Another object of the present invention is to
provide a reproduction method and apparatus which
enables information reproduction of a dual-layer
structure DVD±RW having a reflectance which is one-third
of that of a recordable dual-layer structure DVD+R.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned
objects, there is provided according to one aspect of
the present invention a phase-change type optical
recording medium having two recording layers formed
therein, wherein a product of a reflectance of a high-
reflection part and a modulation after recording is set
to a value equal to or higher than a lower limit value
for reproduction.
In the phase-change type optical recording
medium according to the present invention, the product
may be set to be equal to or higher than 2.8. A
recording groove of each of the recording layer may be
spirally or concentrically formed, and a reflectance of
the phase-change type optical recording medium may be 4%
to 10%. A modulation after recording may be 0.4 to 0.65.
A tracking is performed when a phase-difference signal
may be equal to or greater than 0.3. A depth of groove
of a substrate may be 200 A to 300 A, a track pitch may
be 0.64 µm to 0.8 µ m, and a width of the groove may be

0.18 µm to 0.3 µm at a half-value width.
Additionally, there is provided according to
another aspect of the present invention a reproduction
method of a multilayer phase-change type optical
recording medium having at least a first recording
structure layer, a resin intermediate layer, a second
recording structure layer and a cover substrate
sequentially formed on a substrate, comprising: setting
a first power of a reproduction light beam for a
rewritable multilayer phase-change type optical
recording medium higher than a second power of the
reproduction light beam for a reproduction only
multilayer phase-change type optical recording medium;
and reproducing information recorded on the first and
second recording structure layers of the reproduction
light beam for a rewritable multilayer phase-change type
optical recording medium using the first power.
In the reproduction method according to the
present invention, the first power may be set to a value
within a range from 1.0 mW to 1.8 mW. Pull-in of a
focus may be performed in a direction of movement of an
objective lens of an optical pickup device from the
first recording structure layer to the second recording
structure layer. A start position of a focusing
operation of an objective lens of an optical pickup

device may be set so that a focal point of a light beam
outgoing from the objective lens is beyond a first
recording layer of said first recording structure layer.
Further, there is provided according to
another aspect of the present invention a reproduction
apparatus of a multilayer phase-change type optical
recording medium having at least a first recording
structure layer, a resin intermediate layer, a second
recording structure layer and a cover substrate
sequentially formed on a substrate, comprising: a
controller setting a first power of a reproduction light
beam for a rewritable multilayer phase-change type
optical recording medium higher than a second power of
the reproduction light beam for a reproduction only
multilayer phase-change type optical recording medium;
and an optical pickup device irradiating said
reproduction light beam having the first power onto the
rewritable multilayer phase-change type optical
recording medium so as to reproduce information recorded
on the first and second recording structure layers.
In the reproduction apparatus according to the
present invention, the first power may be set to a value
within a range from 1.0 mW to 1.8 mW. The optical
pickup device may perform pull-in of a focus in a
direction of an objective lens provided therein moving

from the first recording structure layer to the second
recording structure layer. The controller may set a
start position of a focusing operation of an objective
lens of said optical pickup device so that a focal point
of a light beam outgoing from the objective lens is
beyond a first recording layer of the first recording
structure layer.
Additionally, there is provided according to
another aspect of the present invention a processor
readable recording medium storing a program causing a
computer to perform the above-mentioned reproduction
method and a computer readable reproduction program
causing a computer to perform the above-mentioned
reproduction method.
Other objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will become more apparent from the
following detailed description when read in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
FIG. 1. is a block diagram of an automatic gain
control (AGC) circuit used in a conventional optical
disc apparatus;
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a cross section
of a layer structure of a phase-change type optical

recording medium according to a first embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 3 is a graph showing characteristics of
absorption, transmission and reflection of various
metals used for a reflective layer and a heat release
layer;
FIG. 4 is an illustration showing film
deposition conditions of sample discs;
FIG. 5 is an illustration showing a
reflectance, a modulation and a value of a product
(RXM) of those of a disc produced according to a film
deposition condition shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an illustration showing a result of
evaluations as to whether or not focusing, tracking
(push-pull) and reproduction of a disc produced
according to a film deposition condition shown in FIG. 4
can be made;
FIG. 7 is a graph showing a relationship
between an S/N ratio and a product of a reflectance of a
high-reflection part and a modulation;
FIG. 8 is a graph showing a relationship
between a recording linear velocity and a jitter in a
recording layer on a light incident side;
FIG. 9 is an illustration showing a
relationship between a crystal and an amorphous when a

reproduction light is the same and two times;
FIG. 10 is an illustration showing values of a
DPD signal when a tracking is performed;
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an optical disc
apparatus, which can reproduce a phase-change type
optical recording medium according to the present
invention;
FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram using a
preferable AGC method according to the present
invention;
FIG. 13 is a graph showing a SUM signal and a
MIRR signal;
FIG. 14 is an illustration for explaining a
conventional focus pull-in method;
FIG. 15 is an illustration for explaining a
focus pull-in method according to the present invention;
and
FIG. 16 is an illustration of a cross section
of a layer structure of a phase-change type optical
recording medium according to a second embodiment of the
present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A description will now be given of embodiments
of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a cross section
of a layer structure of a phase-change type optical
recording medium according to a first embodiment of the
present invention.
As shown in FIG. 2, the phase-change type
optical recording medium according to the present
embodiment comprises a substrate 1, a reflective layer 2,
a first protective layer 3, a first recording layer 4, a
second protective layer 5, a resin intermediate layer 6,
a third protective layer 7, a heat release layer 8 made
of a Cu or Cu alloy layer, a fourth protective layer 9,
a second recording layer 10, a fifth protective layer 11,
and a cover substrate 12.
As the material of the substrate 1, a
transparent resin such as polycarbonate, acrylic resin
or polyolefin or a transparent glass may be used. Among
those materials, the polycarbonate resin is most widely
used for forming a compact disc (CD) especially, and is
a most preferable material since it is inexpensive. In
a case of a DVD, a groove of a pitch of 0.74 µm is
provided normally in the substrate. Such a groove is
not always required to have a cross section in
geometrically square shape or trapezoidal shape. For
example, such a groove may be formed optically by
forming a wave-guide path having different refraction

indexes by, for example, ion injection.
As a desirable phase-change type recording
material used for the first and second recording layers
4 and 10, there are alloys containing Sb and Te as major
components. Among those, an alloy containing Ge, Sb and
Te as constituent elements is preferable. Each
recording layer containing those constituent elements
may be added with other elements, if necessary, by total
of 10 atomic %. Moreover, the optical constant of the
recording layer can be finely adjusted by adding at
least one element selected from a group consisting of 0,
N and S by 0.1 to 5 atomic %. However, if the additive
exceeds 5 atomic %, a crystallization rate is decreased,
which is not preferable since it deteriorates an erasure
performance.
Moreover, in order to improve a stability over
time without decreasing the crystallization rate during
overwrite (0/W), at least one element selected from a
group consisting of V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Co, Pt and Zr is
preferably added by 8 atomic % or less, and more
preferably, by 0.1 to 5 atomic %. It is preferable that
a total amount of additives of those elements and Ge is
equal to or less than 15 atomic % with respect to SbTe.
If it exceeds 15 atomic %, it may induce a phase
separation of components other than Sb. Especially, the

effect of additives is large when Ge content is 3 to 5
atomic %.
Moreover, in order to improve the stability
over time and finely adjust a refractive index, it is
preferable to add at least one element selected from a
group consisting of Si, Sn and Pb by equal to or less
than 5 atomic %. It is preferable that the total amount
of additives of those elements and Ge is equal to or
less tan 15 atomic %. It should be noted that Si, Sn,
and Pb are the elements which have a four-configuration
network as well as Ge.
Moreover, a crystallization temperature can be
increased while reducing jitter and improving recording
sensitivity by adding at least one element selected from
a group consisting of Al, Ga and In by equal to or less
than 8 atomic %, and preferably 6 atomic % since
segregation tends to occur. It is preferable that a
total amount of those elements and Ge is equal to or
less than 15 atomic %, and more preferably, equal to or
less than 13 atomic %.
Moreover, if Ag is added by an amount equal to
or less than 8 atomic %, there is an effect of improving
recording sensitivity, and the effect is remarkable if
an amount of added Ge exceeds 5 atomic %. However, if
the amount of Ag exceeds 8 atomic %, it is not

preferable since jitter may be increased or stability of
amorphous mark is deteriorated. Additionally, if a
total amount of Ag and Ge exceeds 15 atomic %, it is not
preferable since segregation tends to occur. An
especially preferable amount of Ag added is 5 atomic %.
The first and second recording layers 4 and 10
are phase-change type recording layers, and, generally a
thickness thereof is preferably in a range of 5 to 100
nm. If the thickness is smaller than 5 nm, it is
difficult to acquire a sufficient contrast and a
crystallization rate tends to decrease, which makes it
difficult to perform erasure within a short time. On
the other hand, if the thickness exceeds 100 nm, it is
also difficult to acquire optical contrast and a crack
tends to occur. It is required for a contrast to be
compatible with a reproduction only disc such as a DVD.
Moreover, in high-density recording in which a
shortest mark length is equal to or smaller than 0.5 µm,
it is preferable that the thickness of the first and
second recording layers is 5 to 25 nm. If the thickness
is smaller than 5 nm, it is not preferable since a
reflectance is too low, and ununiform composition in
initial film growth and influences of a nondense film
tend to appear. On the other hand, if the thickness is
larger than 25 nm, a heat capacity is large and

recording sensitivity is deteriorated, and an edge of an
amorphous mark is disturbed and jitter tends to increase
due to three-dimensional crystal growth. Further, a
volume change due to phase change of the first and
second recording layers is remarkable, which is not
preferable since repeated overwrite (O/W) resistance is
deteriorated. In a viewpoint of jitter of a mark edge
and repeated overwrite resistance, the thickness is
preferably equal to or smaller than 20 nm.
The density of the first and second recording
layers 4 and 10 is equal to or greater than 80% of a
bulk density, and preferably be equal to or greater than
90%. In order to increase the density in a sputtering
film deposition method, it is required to increase an
amount of high-energy Ar irradiated onto the recording
layer by decreasing a pressure of a sputter gas (rare
gas such as Ar) during film deposition or placing a
substrate close to a front of a target.
The high-energy Ar is one of Ar ions
irradiated onto a target for sputtering and bouncing and
reaching the substrate side and Ar ions in plasma being
accelerated by a sheath voltage at an entire surface of
a substrate and reaching the substrate. Such an
irradiation effect of a high-energy rare gas is referred
to as atomic peening effect. In a sputter in Ar gas

which is used generally, Ar gas is mixed into a sputter
film due to the atomic peening effect. The atomic
peenig effect can be estimated according to an amount of
Ar mixed into the film. That is, if the amount of Ar is
small, it means that the high-energy Ar irradiation
effect is small and a nondense film tends to be formed.
On the other hand, if the amount of Ar is too much,
irradiation of high-energy Ar is strong, which causes
generation of voids due to release of Ar, which is taken
into the film, during repeated overwrite (O/W) and
causes the repeat resistance to be deteriorated. An
appropriate amount of Ar in the recording layer film is
0.1 to 1.5 atomic %. Further, it is preferable to use
high-frequency sputtering rather than direct current
sputtering since it reduces an amount of Ar in the film
and a high-density film is obtained.
Additionally, the first and second recording
layers 4 and 10 after film deposition is normally in an
amorphous state. Accordingly, it is needed to
crystallize each entire recording layer after the film
deposition to be in an initialized state (unrecorded
state). As for the initialization method,
initialization by annealing in a solid phase may be
taken, but it is preferable to initialize by so-called
melt-recrystallization which melts a recording layer and

gradually cools to solidify the recording layer to be
crystallized. The above-mentioned each recording layer
has little crystal nucleus immediately after film
deposition and it is difficult to crystallize in a solid
phase. However, according to the melt-recrystallization,
by melting after small number of crystal nucleus is
formed, recrystallization progresses rapidly with
crystal growth as a main.
Since the reflectance is different between the
crystal according to the melt-recrystallization and
crystal according to annealing in a solid phase, mixture
of them may cause noise. In practical 0/W recording, an
erased portion becomes crystal due to melt-
recrystallization, and, thus, it is preferable to also
perform initialization according to melt-
recrystallization.
When performing initialization according to
melt-recrystallization, it is recommended to melt a
recording layer locally and within a short time such as
1 msec or less. This is for the reason that if a melted
area is large or a melting time or a cooling time is too
long, each layer may be destroyed or a plastic substrate
surface may be deformed due to heat. In order to give
heat history appropriate for initialization, it is
preferable to irradiate a high-output semiconductor

laser light with a wavelength of about 600 to 1000 nm by
converging the light in an ellipse form having a longer
axis of 100 to 300 µm and a shorter axis of 1 to 3 µm
and scans the light at a linear velocity of 1 to 10
m/sec along the direction of the shorter axis as a
scanning axis. With the same converged light, a melted
area is too large and recrystallization tends to occur
if it is close to a circular form, and, thus, it is not
preferable since there may be a large damage given to a
multi-layer structure or a substrate.
The fact that the initialization was performed
according to melt-rerystallization can be checked as
follows. Namely, a recording light having a recording
power Pw, which is converged into a spot diameter
smaller than about 1.5 µm and is sufficient for melting
a recording layer, onto a medium after initialization
linearly at a constant velocity. If there exists a
guiding groove, it is performed while tracking servo or
a focus servo is applied to a track formed by the groove
or a portion between the grooves.
Thereafter, if the reflectance of the erasure
state acquired on the same track by irradiating an
erasure light of an erasure power Pe (≤Pw) in direct
current is completely the same as the reflectance in the
unrecorded initialized state, it can be confirmed that

the initialized state is the melt-recrystallized state.
This is because the recording layer was once melted by
the recording light irradiation and the state where the
thus-melted recording layer is completely recrystallized
by the erasure light irradiation is the result of
melting by the recording light and recrystallization by
the erasure light, which is the state of melt-
recrystallization. The fact that a reflectance Rini in
the initialized state and a reflectance Rcry in the
melt-recrystallized state are the same means that a
difference between the reflectance Rini and Rcry defined
by (Rini-Rcry)/{(Rini+Rcry )/2} is equal to or less than
0.2 (that is, 20% or less). Normally, the difference in
reflectance is greater than 20% when only solid
crystallization such as annealing is performed.
As shown in FIG. 2, the first recording layer
4 is provided between the first protective layer 3 and
the second protective layer 5, and the second recording
layer 10 is provided between the fourth protective layer
9 and the fifth protective layer 11. A description will
be given below of the first, second fourth and fifth
protective layers that sandwich the recording layers.
The first protective layer 3 and the fourth
recording layer 9 have a function to efficiently release
heat to the reflective layer or the Cu or Cu alloy layer.

On the other hand, the second protective layer 5 is
mainly effective for preventing deformation of a surface
of the resin intermediate layer due to a high
temperature during recording. The fifth protective
layer 11 is effective for adjusting a reflectance and
preventing deformation of the cover substrate
The material of the first, second, fourth and
fifth protective layers 3, 5, 9 and 11 is determined in
consideration of a refractive index, a thermal
conductivity, a chemical stability, a mechanical
strength, an adhesion nature, etc. It is better that
the material has a low thermal conductivity, which level
is 1X10-3pJ/(µm.N.nsec) . It should be noted that it is
difficult to directly measure the thermal conductivity
of such a low thermal conductivity material in a thin
film state. Instead of direct measurement, a rough
value can be obtained by a thermal simulation and a
result of measurement of an actual recording sensitivity.
As the above-mentioned low thermal
conductivity material, which brings a preferable result,
for the second protective layer 5 and the fifth
protective layer 11, there is a composite dielectric
material containing at least one selected from a group
consisting of ZnS, ZnO, TaS2 and a rare earth sulfide by
50 to 90 moll % and also containing a heat-resistant

compound having a high-transparency and a melting point
or a decomposition point equal to or higher than 1000oC.
As a specific example of a rare earth sulfide, there is
a composite dielectric material containing a rare earth
sulfide such as La, Ce, Nd, Y, etc., by 60 to 90 moll %.
Further, it is preferable that the rate of ZnS, ZnO,
TaS2 or a rare earth sulfide is 70 to 90 moll %.
As a heat-resistant compound having a melting
point or a decomposition point of 1000oC or higher,
there are an oxide, nitride or carbide of Mg, Ca, Sr, Y,
La, Ce, Ho, Er, Yb, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Zn, Al, Si,
Ge, Pb, etc., and a fluoride of Ca, Mg, Li, etc. It
should be noted that the oxide, sulfide, nitride carbide
and fluoride are not needed to take a stoichiometric
composition, and it is effective to change a composition
or mix them for controlling a refractive index.
As a material of the first and fourth
protective layers 3 and 9, a material having a thermal
conductivity higher than that of the SnOx based second
and fifth protective layers 5 and 11 may give a good
recording characteristic. It is preferable that the
first and fourth protective layers 3 and 9 do not
contain S. Additionally, good reliability can be
obtained if the layers contain TaOx or the like by 10
moll % to 30 moll %.

A description will now be given of a function
of each of the above-mentioned protective layers.
The layer structure according to the present
invention is a kind of layer structure which is referred
to as a rapid cooling structure. The rapid cooling
structure achieves a high erasure ratio by high-rate
crystallization while eliminating a problem of
recrystallization when forming an amorphous mark by
using a layer structure which promotes heat radiation
and increases a cooling rate when a recording layer is
resolidified.
The film thickness of the fist and fourth
protective layers 3 and 9 give a great influence to
permanence in repeat overwrite (0/W), and it is
important in suppressing deterioration of jitter. The
film thickness is generally 5 to 30 nm. If the film
thickness is smaller than 5 nm, it is not preferable
since a delay effect of heat conductance at the
protective layers 3 and 9 is not sufficient and
recording sensitivity is decreased remarkably. If the
film thickness is larger than 30 nm, a sufficient
flattening effect of a temperature distribution in a
direction of a mark width is not obtained. Besides, a
temperature difference between a recording layer side
and a reflective layer or a heat release layer side of

each of the second and fifth protective layers 5 and 11
tends to be deformable due to a difference in thermal
expansion on both sides of the protective layer. The
repetition causes accumulation of microscopic
deformation in the protective layer and invites an
increase in noise, which is not preferable.
The film thickness of the first and fourth
protective layers 3 and 9 is preferably 15 to 25 nm when
the wavelength of the recording laser light is 600 to
700 nm and 3 to 20 nm when the wavelength is 350 to 600
nm, and more preferably 3 to 15 nm.
Moreover, the film thickness of the second and
fifth protective layers 5 and 11 must be 30 to 250 nm.
If the film thickness is smaller than 30 nm, the layers
can be easily destroyed by deformation when the
recording layer is melted, which deteriorates the O/W
characteristic.
The present inventors considered and studied
an appropriate layer structure of a phase-change type
optical recording medium having a dual-layer recording
structure to confirm to the above-mentioned requirements,
and made a design to match recording sensitivities of
the two layers by using Cu or a Cu alloy having a high
transparency and a good heat radiation in the thickness
of equal to or greater than 2 nm and smaller than 10 nm

so that an optical transparency and heat radiation and a
high recording sensitivity are obtained.
In the high-density mark length modulation
recording using the above-mentioned optical system, it
is important to use a material having a low thermal
conductivity for the first and fourth protective layers
3 and 9, and the film thickness thereof is preferably 3
to 20 nm.
Additionally, since the light reaching the
first recording structure layer 100 is a transparent
light which has transmitted through the second recording
structure layer 200, an amount of incident light is less
than a half of that of the second recording structure
layer 200. Accordingly, it is preferable that the
amount of incident light on the second recording
structure layer 200 is increased or the sensitivity of
the first recording layer 4 of the first recording
structure layer 100 is raised.
In the present invention, in the first
recording structure layer 100 having smaller amount of
incident light, the first recording layer 4 is
sandwiched between layers having a low thermal
conductivity so as to raise recording sensitivity, and
the film thickness of the first protective layer 3 is
reduced to 3 to 20 nm so as to easily absorb heat, and,

thereby, the recording sensitivity can be raised.
In the above-mentioned layer structure, when
only the thermal conductivity is considered, the heat
radiation effect can be promoted even if the thermal
conductivity coefficient of the first protective layer 3
or the fourth protective layer 9 is raised. However, if
the heat radiation is promoted excessively, an
irradiation power needed for recording is raised, which
causes a problem that the recording sensitivity is
remarkably decreased. Thus, it is necessary to maintain
the thermal conductivity low.
By using a thin film protective layer of a low
thermal conductivity, a time delay is given to the
thermal conductance from the recording layer to the
reflective layer or the heat release layer for several
nanoseconds to several tens nanoseconds at a recording
power irradiation start time, and, thereafter, the heat
radiation to the reflective layer or the heat release
layer can be promoted. Thus, there is no unnecessary
decrease in the recording sensitivity by the thermal
conductance of the protective layers.
For the above-mentioned reason, the known
protective layer material containing SiO2, Ta2Os, Al2O3,
AlN, SiN, etc., as a major component is not preferably
used since the material itself has an excessively high

thermal conductivity.
Next, a description will be given of the third
protective layer 7.
As for a preferable material of the third
protective layer 7, there are ITO (a mixture composition
of In2O3 and SnO) , IZO (a mixture composition of In2O3
and ZnO), etc., which can raise a light transmittance at
wavelength from 380 nm to 420 nm. Since those materials
have a high thermal conductivity, heat generated when
recording is made in the second recording layer 10 is
radiated through the heat release layer 8. Thereby, the
recording layer, which is made of a phase-change
material containing SbTe as a major component requiring
rapid cooling, is put in an appropriate rapid cooling
state, and, thus, it becomes possible to form a small
amorphous mark.
The third protective layer 7 is preferably as
thick as possible when considering the heat radiation
effect. However, if the thickness exceeds 200 nm, a
stress becomes large and cracking may occur. On the
other hand, if the thickness is smaller than 20 nm, the
heat radiation effect is not sufficient. Thus, the
thickness is preferably 20 nm to 200 nm, and more
preferably 30 nm to 160 nm.
A description will now be given of the

reflective layer 2 and the heat release layer 8 that
provide the heat radiation function.
By using a high thermal conductivity material
as the reflective layer 2, an erasure ratio and an
erasure power margin can be improved. As a result of
consideration, in order to exhibit a good erasure
characteristic of the recording layer according to the
present invention in a large erasure power range, it is
preferable to use a layer structure that can flatten not
only a temperature distribution in a direction of the
film thickness and a change with time passage but also a
temperature distribution in a film plane direction
(direction perpendicular to a recording beam scanning
direction). In the present invention, it is preferable
to promote a heat radiation effect in a transverse
direction by using a thin reflective layer having an
extremely high thermal conductivity and a thickness
equal to or smaller than 300 nm.
Moreover, if the film thickness is equal to or
larger than 12 nm, the transmittance is sharply
decreased, and if the film thickness if less than 2 nm,
a modulation after recording cannot be performed, and,
thus, the film thickness is preferably 2 nm to 12 nm,
and more preferably 6 nm to 10 nm when considering a-
dual-layer recording and reproduction characteristic

(transmittance of a light incident side and recording
and reproduction characteristic).
The modulation is a value given by an equation
"(high-reflection part - low-reflection part)/high-
reflection part)" where the low reflection part is an
amorphous portion formed after recording and the high
reflection part is a portion erased and crystallized
when recording.
Moreover, a thermal conductivity of a thin
film is generally smaller than that of a bulk state.
Especially, in a thin film having a thickness smaller -
than 4 0 nm, there may be a case where the thermal
conductivity is reduced more than one order due to
influences of an island structure at an initial stage of
growth, which is not preferable. Further, since
crystallinity and an amount of impurity vary depending
on a film deposition condition, there may be a case
where a thermal conductivity differs even if an attempt
is made to form a film having the same composition, and,
thereby a consideration should be given.
Although the heat radiation by the reflective
layer 2 of the first recording structure layer 100 can
be promoted even when the thickness of the reflective
layer 2 is increased, if the thickness exceeds 300 nm,
the thermal conductance in a direction of the film

thickness is much more remarkable than the thermal
conductance in a plane direction of the first recoding
layer 4, and, thus, a temperature distribution improving
effect in the plane direction of the film cannot be
obtained. Additionally, the heat capacity of the
reflective layer 2 itself is increased, and cooling of
not only the reflective layer 2 but also the first
recording layer 4 takes a long time, which prevents
formation of an amorphous mark. Most preferably, the
reflective layer 2 having a high thermal conductivity is
made thin so as to selectively promote the heat
radiation in a transverse direction. In a
conventionally used rapid cooling structure, an attempt
is made to rapidly release heat from the first recording
layer 4 to the reflective layer 2 in consideration of
only one-dimensional heat release in the plane direction
of the film, and, thus, there is insufficient attention
paid to flattening the temperature distribution in the
plane direction.
As a material of the reflective layer 2, there
are Ag or an Ag alloy, an Al alloy, etc. As an Ag alloy,
the same Ag alloy as that used for the heat release
layer 8 mentioned later may be used. When using an Ag
alloy for the reflective layer 2, a film thickness of 30
to 200 nm is preferable. If the film thickness is

smaller than 30 nm, the heat radiation effect is
insufficient even if a pure Ag is used. If the film
thickness exceeds 200 nm, heat is released in a
perpendicular direction rather than a horizontal
direction, and there is no contribution to improvement
of the heat distribution in the horizontal direction.
An unnecessarily large thickness may deteriorate
productivity and also deteriorate microscopic flatness
of the film surface.
As for an Al ally, there is an alloy
containing at least one of Ta, Ti, Co, Cr, Si, Sc, Hf,
Pd, Pt, Mg, Zr, Mo and Mn by 0.2 to 2 atomic %. In such
an alloy, a volume resistivity is increased in
proportion to a concentration of the additive element,
and also a hillock resistance is improved, and, thus,
the alloy can be used in consideration of a permanence,
a volume resistivity, a film deposition rate, etc. If
an amount of additive impurity is less than 0.2 atomic %,
there are many cases where a hillock resistance is
insufficient, although it depends on a film deposition
condition. On the other hand, if the amount of additive
impurity is larger than 2 atomic %, it is difficult to
obtain the above-mentioned low resistivity. When
putting an importance to a stability over time, Ta is
preferable as the additive component.

Further, an Al-Cu based alloy containing Cu by
0.3 to 5.0 atomic % is preferable. Especially, when
using a dual-layer structure protective layer in which a
film having a mixture composition of ZnS and SiO2 and a
film of Ta2O5, an Al-Cu based alloy containing Cu by 0.5
to 4.0 atomic % is preferably used since it satisfies a
corrosion resistance, an adhesion nature and a high
thermal conductivity in a balanced manner. Additionally,
an Al-Mg-Si based alloy containing Si by 0.3 to 0.8
atomic % and Mg by 0.3 to 1.2 atomic % is preferable.
When using the above-mentioned Al alloy as a
reflective layer, a preferable film thickness is 150 to
300 nm. If the film thickness is smaller than 150 nm,
even pure Al has insufficient heat radiation effect. On
the other hand, if the film thickness exceeds 300 nm,
heat is released in a perpendicular direction rather
than a horizontal direction, as is the same as the Ag
alloy, which does not contributes to an improvement of
heat distribution in the horizontal direction, and a
heat capacity of the reflective layer 2 itself becomes
large, thereby decreasing a cooling rate of the
recording layer. Additionally, a microscopic flatness
of the film surface is deteriorated.
The present inventor found that the volume
resistivity of the Al alloy or Ag alloy used for the

reflective layer 2 increases in proportion to an
additive element concentration. On the other hand, it
is generally considered that addition of impurities
generally decreases a crystal grain diameter and
increases electron scattering at grain boundaries, which
cause a decrease in a thermal conductivity. Adjusting
an amount of additive impurities is necessary for
increasing the crystal grain diameter to acquire a high
thermal conductivity which the material originally has.
A description will now be given of the heat
release layer 8 formed of Cu or a Cu alloy.
In the second record layer 10 of the present
invention, a crystal growth near the crystallization
temperature (Tm) when being resolidified is a bottleneck
of recrystallization. In order to assure formation of
an amorphous mark and an edge of the amorphous mark by
increasing a cooling rate to the maximum near Tm, an
ultra rapid cooling structure is effective.
Additionally, flattening of a temperature distribution
in a direction of a film surface assures an erasure by
recrystallization so that an original rapid erasure near
Tm can be maintained with a higher erasure power. Thus,
if the ultra rapid cooling structure, which considers a
thermal conductivity delay effect near Tm, is applied to
the second recording structure layer 200 according to

the present invention, a further effect can be obtained
than the conventional GeTe-Sb2Te3 recording layer.
In the present invention, the heat release
layer 8 is provided to achieve such an ultra rapid
cooling. When forming the heat release layer 8, it is
necessary to eliminate unevenness in the film thickness
by decreasing a deposition rate for film deposition to
be smaller than that of the reflective layer 2. The
film thickness is preferably equal to or greater than 2
nm and smaller than 10 nm. If the film thickness is
smaller than 2 nm, unevenness occurs even when the
deposition rate is made small. If the film thickness is
not smaller than 10 nm, since the transparency of the
second recording structure layer 200 cannot be raised, a
light does not reach the first recording layer 4. Thus,
the transmittance of the second recording structure
layer 200 is preferably equal to or greater than 45%.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing characteristics of
absorption A, transmission T and reflection R of various
metals used for a reflective layer and a heat release
layer. It should be noted that the film thickness of
each metal is 1 nm.
It can be appreciated from FIG. 3, Cu or a Cu
alloy has a higher transmittance T than a metal such as
Ag, Pt, Au, etc. That is, Cu or a Cu alloy is

appropriate for the heat release layer 8 which is
arranged on the light incident side. It should be noted
that by adding Mo to Cu by several %, a good
characteristic can be obtained in that there is little
jitter even in a 80 degrees - 85% reliability test.
Although the reflective layer 2 and the heat
release layer 8 are usually formed by a sputter method
or a vacuum vapor-deposition method, a total amount of
impurities including a water component and oxygen mixed
during film deposition as well as impurities contained
in a target and a vapor deposition material itself must
be reduced to be equal to or less than 2 atomic %.
Accordingly, an ultimate vacuum in a process chamber is
preferably 1X10-3Pa. Additionally, when performing film
deposition at an ultimate vacuum lower than 10-4Pa, it is
preferable to prevent impurities from being taken in by
setting a film deposition rate to be equal to or higher
than 1 nm/sec, and preferably, equal to or higher than
10 nm/sec. Or, if additive elements are contained
intentionally by an amount more than 1 atomic %, the
film deposition rate is preferably increased to be equal
to or higher than 10 nm/sec so as to prevent additional
impurities from being mixed.
There is a case where a film deposition
condition gives influences to a crystal grain diameter

irrespective of an amount of impurities. For example,
in an alloy film containing Al with Ta added by about 2
atomic %, an amorphous phase is mixed between crystal
grains, but a ratio of the amorphous phase to a crystal
phase depends on a film deposition condition.
Additionally, a ratio of the crystal part increases, a
volume resistivity decreases and a thermal conductivity
increases as sputtering is performed at a lower pressure.
An impurity composition or crystallinity in a
film also depends on a method of producing an alloy
target used for sputtering and a sputtering gas (Ar, Ne,
Xe, etc). Thus, a volume resistivity of a thin film
state is not defined only by a metal material and
composition. In order to acquire a high thermal
conductivity, it is preferable to lessen an amount of
impurities as mentioned above. However, on the other
hand, since pure metal such as Al or Ag tends to be
inferior in a corrosion resistance and a hillock
resistance, it is necessary to determine an optimum
composition in consideration of a balance of both.
In order to acquire a higher thermal
conductivity and reliability, it is effective to make
the reflective layer in a multilayer structure. In this
case, at least one layer is formed of the above-
mentioned high thermal conductivity material (low volume

resistivity material) having a film thickness of equal
to or grater than 50% of a total film thickness and
substantially contributes to a heat radiation effect,
and other layers contribute to an improvement in a
corrosion resistance and an adhesive nature with the
protective layer and a hillock resistance.
Specifically, when using Ag, which has a
highest thermal conductivity and a lowest volume
resistivity among metals, if S is contained in the
protective layer adjacent to Ag, a corrosion by S tends
to occur and there is a tendency that deterioration when
overwrite (O/W) is repeated is slightly fast.
Additionally, corrosion tends to occur under an
acceleration test environment with a high temperature
and a high humidity.
Then, when using Ag or an Ag alloy as a low
volume resistivity material, although not shown in the
figure, it is effective to provide an Al alloy layer
having a thickness of 1 to 100 nm as an interface layer
between the Ag or Ag alloy layer and the adjacent
protective layer. As for the Al alloy, a material the
same as that mentioned in relation to the reflective
layer 2 can be used. If the thickness of the interface
layer is smaller than 1 nm, a protection effect is not
sufficient. If the thickness exceeds 100 nm, a heat

radiation effect is sacrificed. Additionally, if the
thickness is equal to or larger than 5 nm, the layer
does not have an island structure, which tends to
achieve a uniform formation.
Further, if an Ag alloy heat release layer and
an Al alloy interface layer are used, it is preferable
to provide an interface oxidation layer by oxidizing the
Al surface by a thickness equal to or larger than 1 nm
since mutual diffusion tends to occur in the combination
of Ag and Al. It should be noted that if the thickness
of the interface oxidation layer exceeds 5 nm,
especially, 10 nm, the layer serves as a thermal
resistance, and it is not preferable since the original
function of the heat release layer that a heat radiation
effect is extremely high is deteriorated.
It is also possible to measure each thermal
conductivity directly in order to specify the reflective
layer 2 and the heat release layer 8 having a high
thermal conductivity that show a good characteristic in
the present invention, and it can be estimated whether
or not the thermal conductance is good by using an
electric resistance. In a material such as a metal film
in which mainly electrons control conduction of heat or
electricity, there is a good relationship between a
thermal conductivity and an electric conductivity. An

electric resistance of a thin film is represented by a
resistivity value standardized by a film thickness or an
area of a measuring area. The volume resistivity and
the area resistivity can be measured by a normal four
probe method which is specified by Japanese Industrial
Standard JIS N 7194. According to the method, data
having good repeatablility can be obtained mush easier
than measuring a thermal conductivity of a thin film.
As a preferable characteristic of the
reflective layer 2 and the heat release layer 8, the
volume resistivity is 20 to 150 nΩ.m, and preferably 20
to 100 nΩ.m. It is difficult practically to form a
material having a volume resistivity smaller than 20
nΩ.m in a thin film state. Additionally, in a case
where the volume resistivity is greater than 150 nΩ.m,
the area resistivity can be reduced by making the film
thick to have a thickness exceeding 300 nm, for example.
However, according to consideration of the inventors,
decreasing only the area resistivity of such a high
volume resistivity material cannot provide a sufficient
heat radiation effect since a thick film increases a
heat capacity per unit area. Additionally, formation of
such a thick film takes a long time and a material cost
is increased, and, thus, it is not preferable in a view
point of a manufacturing cost. Further, increasing the

film thickness may deteriorate the microscopic flatness
of the surface of the film. It is preferable to use a
low volume resistivity material which can provide an
area resistivity of 0.2 to 0.9 Ω/□, and more preferably
0.5 Ω/□.
The above-mentioned multilayering of the
reflective layer 2 or the heat release layer 8 is
effective in obtaining a desired area resistivity with a
desired film thickness by combining a high volume
reisstivity material and a low volume resistivity
material. An adjustment of a volume resistivity by
alloying can simplify a sputtering process by using an
alloy target. However, it causes an increase in a
target cost, and subsequently an increase in a raw
material ratio of a medium. Accordingly, it is also
effective to acquire a desired volume resistivity by
multilayering a thin film of pure Al, pure Ag and pure
Au and a thin film of the above-mentioned additive
elements. If a number of layers is up to around three,
an initial apparatus cost may be increased but a medium
cost may be decreased. It is preferable that the
reflective layer has a multilayer structure including a
plurality of metal films and a total film thickness is
40 to 300 nm, and more than 50% of the total film
thickness is a metal thin film layer (may be a plurality

of layers) having a volume resistivity of 20 to 150
nΩ.m.
When using a high NA objective lens in the
structure where the cover substrate 12 is made thin as
shown in FIG. 2, the cover substrate 12 is preferably a
sheet material since the thickness of the cover
substrate 12 is preferably equal to or smaller than 0.3
mm, more preferably 0.6 mm. If NA is 0.50 to 0.7, the
cover substrate 12 having a thickness of 0.6 mm may be
used.
As a material of the cover substrate 12, a
polycarbonate resin, an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, a
polystyrene resin, an acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer
resin, a polyethylene resin, a polypropylene resin, a
silicone resin, a fluorocarbon resin, an ABS resin, a
urethane resin, etc., can be used, and the polycarbonate
resin and the acrylic resin are preferable since they
are excellent in an optical characteristic and cost.
As a method of forming the thin cover
substrate using a transparent sheet made of those
materials, there is a method in which a transparent
sheet is applied via an ultraviolet (UV) curable resin
or a transparent both-sided pressure sensitive sheet.
Additionally, the thin cover substrate may be formed by
applying an ultraviolet (UV) curable resin onto a

protective layer. The above-mentioned resin can be used
for the resin intermediate layer and the adhesive layer,
but the UV curable resin is preferable since it is
excellent in cost.
Although the present invention is explained
below in detail by showing examples and comparative
examples, the present invention is not limited to the
examples.
Here, the second recording structure layer
(hereinafter, referred to as "L0 layer") 200 has a
structure in which both transmission and absorption are
satisfied since it must transmit a light therethrough
and also absorb the light to perform recording. On the
other hand, the first recording structure layer
(hereinafter, referred to as "L1 layer") 100 is desired
to have a high recording sensitivity since an amount of
light reaching the LI layer 100 is smaller by an amount
corresponding to an amount of absorption of the L0 layer
200 as compared to a single layer medium.
Accordingly, the present inventors prepared a
phase-change type optical recording medium having the
layer structure as shown in FIG. 2. The substrate 1 was
made of polycarbonate having a thickness of 0.6 mm. The
reflective layer 2 had a composition of Ag97Cu1Pt1Pd1.
The first protective layer 3 was a mixture layer of SnOx

and TaOx. The first recording layer 4 had a composition
of Ag5In5S65Te25. The second protective layer 5 was made
of ZnS.SiO2. The resin intermediate layer 6 was made of
a UV curable resin (Catalog No. SD318 manufactured by
Mitsubishi Material Company). The third protective
layer was made of IZO. The heat release layer 8 was
made of C99M01. The fourth protective layer was made of
ZnS.SiO2. The second recording layer 10 had a
composition of Ge5In20Sb75. The fifth protective layer 11
was formed of a mixture layer of SnOx and TaOx. The
cover substrate 12 was made of polycarbonate. It should
be noted that the layers other than the resin
intermediate layer 6 having a thickness of 35 µm and
the cover substrate 12 having a thickness of 0.6 mm were
formed by a sputter method while controlling a film
thickness.
Specifically, a depth of a groove of the L0
layer 200 was 240 A, a half value width was 0.3 Aim, and
a reflectance was set to 5.5%. A depth of a groove of
the L1 layer 100 was 270 A, a half value width was 0.29
µm, and a reflectance was set to 6.0%. The L0 layer
200 and the L1 layer 100 were formed by sputtering on an
injection molded polycarbonate substrate having a track
pitch of 0.74 µm and a thickness of 0.6 mm, and applied
together by an UV curable resin (UV irradiation was made

from the side having a high transmittance). At that
time, the present inventors prepared a plurality of
phase-change type optical recording media by varying the
film deposition condition of the L0 layer.
FIG. 4 is an illustration showing film
deposition conditions of sample discs prepared by the
present inventors.
For example, as shown in FIG. 4, in the
present examples, the fifth recording layer 11 of the L0
layer 200 was formed with a film thickness of 200 nm or
220 nm, and the second recording layer 10 was formed of
a composition of In15Sb80Ge5 with a film thickness of 7 nm
or 8 nm. Then, the fourth protective layer 9 made of a
mixture oxide of AnOx and TaOx was formed with a film
thickness of 20 nm, and, thereafter, the heat release
layer 8 made of Cu was formed with a film thickness of 7
nm or 8 nm, and further the third protective layer 7 was
formed with a film thickness of 70 nm to 110 nm. It
should be noted that those film thicknesses were varied
so as to equalize the transmittance when the disc was
formed by a dual-layer structure.
For example, the sample number L0J was a disc
having the L0 layer 200 using 0.575 mm substrate (a
polycarbonate substrate having a thickness of 0.6 mm
±0.05 mm with NA=0.6 or NA=0.65), and the fifth

protective layer 11 having a film thickness of 220 nm,
the second recording layer 10 having a film thickness of
8 nm, the fourth protective layer 9 having a film
thickness of 20 nm, a heat release layer 8 having a film
thickness of 8 nm, and the third protective layer 7
having a film thickness of 70 nm were formed on the L0
layer 200.
At this time, L1 layer 100 was formed using a
0.575 mm substrate, and an Ag layer as the reflective
layer 2 having a thickness of 140 nm, a mixture layer of
SnOx and TaOx having a film thickness of 20 nm as the
first protective layer 3, a composition of
Ge5Ag2In2Sb71Te20 having a thickness of 15 nm as the first
recording layer 4, and a ZnS.SiO2 layer having a
thickness of 120 nm as the second protective layer 5
were formed in that order on the L1 layer 100 using a
sputtering apparatus. It should be noted that the L1
layer 100 may have the same structure as a single layer
medium such as, for example, a DVD+RW 2.4x or a DVD+RW
4x, and thus, in the present examples, the above-
mentioned film deposition condition of the L1 layer 100
was fixed and the film deposition condition of the L0
layer 200 was varied.
It should be noted that, in FIG. 4, the
substrate thickness (1) indicates 0.575 mm, the

substrate thickness (2) indicates 0.6 mm, and the
substrate thickness (3) indicates 0.61 mm. Additionally,
since the fifth protective layer 11 is thick and has a
film thickness of 200 nm or 220 nm and a thermal
deformation occurs when producing by a single sputter
cathode, the fifth protective layer 11 was formed using
a cathode 1 and a cathode 2 and dividing into four times
as shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 5 is an illustration showing a
reflectance, a modulation and a value of a product
(RXM) of those of a disc produced according to the film
deposition condition shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is an
illustration showing a result of evaluations as to
whether or not focusing, tracking (push-pull) and
reproduction of the disc produced according to the film
deposition condition shown in FIG. 4 can be made.
As appreciated from FIGS. 5 and 6, the
focusing and tracking can be made if the reflectance of
each of the recording structure layers 100 and 200 is
equal to or grater than 2%. On the other hand, it was
found that a Differential Phase Detection (DPD)
reproduction, which is a reproduction method of a DVD
player, is possible when a value of a product (RXM) of
a reflectance of a high reflection part and a modulation
of each of the recording structure layers 100 and 200

was equal to or greater than 2.8. That is, it was found
that if the product (RXM) of the reflectance of the
high reflection part and the modulation of the phase-
change type optical recording medium after recording is
set to a value equal to or greater than a lower limit
value (2.8), a reproduction can be made. More
specifically, it was found that if the product of the
reflectance of the high reflection part and the
modulation is set to a value equal to or greater than
the lower limit value (2.8) by varying the film
deposition condition of the L0 layer 200 which is the
second recording structure layer, a phase-change type
optical recording medium having a dual-layer structure
can be achieved.
This is because if the product (RXM) of the
reflectance of the high reflection part and the
modulation of each of the recording structure layers 100
and 200 after recording, an S/N ratio of a signal read
from the phase-change type optical recording medium by a
pickup is improved as shown in FIG. 7, and a
reproduction possible level is reached when the product
(RXM) of the reflectance and the modulation becomes 2.8.
In the meantime, in a case where a disc has a
dual-layer structure and a red LD (wavelength
corresponding to a DVD) is used, if an energy density is

low, it is necessary to produce a rapid cooling
structure on the recording medium side since a rapid
cooling cannot be achieved when recording unlike a case
where a blue wavelength is used and NA is large
(NA=0.85). However, in a case of a dual-layer structure,
since the transmittance of the heat release layer 8 must
be 40% to 50%, it is difficult to form a sufficient
metal heat release layer like a single-layer medium.
An Al alloy or an Ag alloy (including pure Ag)
can be formed with a thickness of 100 nm in a
conventional single-layer medium, while an Al alloy or
an Ag alloy (including pure Ag) cannot be formed with a
thickness of 5 nm to 10 nm due to a transmittance in the
red wavelength of a DVD, and, thus, a heat radiation is
insufficient.
Therefore, the present inventors considered
and studied, and found that an amorphous corresponding
to a recording linear velocity cannot be formed unless a
composition greatly exceeding a normal recording linear
velocity is selected as shown in FIG. 8. Specifically,
it was found that jitter becomes good by setting the
recording linear velocity to a value equal to or higher
than about 15 m/sec, which exceeds a normal recording
linear velocity of 2.4x (9.2 m/sec).
In a medium such as a conventional single-

layer medium (DVD+RW 4x, 8x) in which the film thickness
of the reflective layer can be equal to or greater than
100 nm, an amorphous can be easily formed since it is a
rapid cooling structure. Thus, a recording layer having
a velocity faster than a speed of recording and
reproduction characteristic by several m/sec can achieve
a good recording and reproduction characteristic.
However, since the layer structure on the light incident
side of a dual-layer RW medium is translucent, it is
much more difficult to form a rapid cooling structure
than a single-layer medium. Thus, since it is difficult
to form an anamorphous in a crystal state, it is
necessary to increase the transition speed of the
recording layer itself to about 1.5 times the recording
linear velocity.
Here, explaining a method of measuring a
transition linear velocity, a crystal level (RF signal
level) is measured by applying a DC erase power to a
medium after initialized. The power for DC erase is
sufficiently larger than an erase power for recording.
In a case of DVD, a DC power of 15 mW was irradiated.
An amorphous cannot be formed unless the transition
linear velocity of the medium is set with respect to the
recording linear velocity. Since it is difficult to
form an amorphous, normally, a modulation is lower than

that of a single-layer medium, and modulation
(M)=(RF(crystal)-RF(amorphous))/RF reaches about 0.45 at
the maximum.
Additionally, the reflectance is about one-
third of that of a single-layer medium, which is about
6%, and the product of the reflectance (R) and the
modulation (M) is one of performances of a low
reflection medium. Additionally, the reflectances of
both layers are not equal to each other in the dual-
layer medium, and are 7% and 5% and a total of
reflectances of the both layers is 12% to 15% and an
average of the reflectances is about 6.75%. As a medium,
the reflectance is 5% to 10%. That is, as indicated as
the product of the reflectance (R) and the modulation
(M) shown in FIG. 7, SN of the system for recording and
reproduction is rapidly improved from a point where the
value of RXM is about 2.8.
As an index to determine a performance of a
medium, a value obtained by multiplying the product of
the reflectance (R) and the modulation (M) by a
reproduction power (Pr) is effective as a system. This
is because if the reproduction light has the same power
as a conventional light, RXM is about 25% of that of a
conventional single-layer media since the reflectance is
about on-third (6% in dual-layer, 18% in single-layer)

and the modulation is about three-quarter (0.45 in dual-
layer, more than 0.6 in single-layer). Increasing the
reproduction light power, an absolute level of
modulation amplitude can be raised.
In a case of a dual-layer structure, since the
transmittance on the light incident side is 40% to 50%
as shown in FIG. 9, the film does not deteriorate even
if the light having a double power is irradiated. The
reproduction light depends on a recording film and a
layer structure, and since a difference between a
crystal and an amorphous of a medium of which
reproduction light can have a high power can be obtained,
the SN ratio of the system can be raised.
When the transition linear velocity was varied
as 13 m/sec, 14 m/sec 15 m/s, 16 m/sec and 17 m/sec, a
Sb/(Sb+Te) ratio was set to 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.71, 0,71,
respectively, and the rest was Ge 4%. When a media was
produced with a layer structure (other than recording
layer composition) being a L0A structure, jitter was
best at a transition linear velocity of about 15 m/sec
in a case of a recording linear velocity of 2.4x.
Additionally, deterioration of jitter was within 1% even
when reproduction of one million times are performed
with a reproduction light of 1.3 mW (at 1x), 2 mW (at
2.4x) in any composition. It was found that the system

is better as the reproduction light power is higher, and
PrXRXM at 1x is 1.2 mW (±0.1 mW) X2.9%=3.48, which is
about a limit.
FIG. 10 is an illustration showing values of a
DPD signal (phase difference signal (AT/TW) when a
tracking is performed. As a result of experiments,
although illustration is omitted, it was found that a
DPD tracking can be performed when the value of the DPD
signal is equal to or grater than 0.3.
It should be noted that although only the film
deposition condition of the L0 layer 200 is varied in
the present embodiment, a phase-change type optical
recording medium having a dual-layer structure may be
achieved by varying the film deposition condition of the
L1 layer so as to set the product of the reflectance and
the modulation of the high reflection part of each
recording structure layer to a value equal to or greater
than the lower limit value (2.8).
A description will now be given of a
reproduction method of the above-mentioned phase-change
type optical recording medium.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an optical disc
apparatus which can reproduce the phase-change type
optical recording medium according to the present
embodiment. The optical disc apparatus 40 shown in FIG.

11 comprises a spindle motor 41 for rotationally driving
an optical disc 55, an optical pickup device 42, a laser
control circuit 43, an encoder 44, a motor driver 45, a
reproduction signal processing circuit 46, a servo
controller 47, a buffer RAM 48, a buffer manager 49, an
interface 50 of a host computer 56, a ROM 51, a flash
memory 52 as memory means, a CPU 53, a RAM 54, etc. It
should be noted that arrows in FIG. 11 do not show the
connection relationship of the components but indicate
flow of representative signals and information.
The optical pickup device 42 includes a
semiconductor laser emitting a laser light having a
wavelength of about 660 nm, an optical system that
guides the light beam emitted from the semiconductor
laser to a recording surface of the optical disc 55 and
also guides a return light beam reflected by the
recording surface to a predetermined light-receiving
position, a light receiver located at the light-
receiving position so as to receive the return light
beam, and a drive system (a focusing actuator, a
tracking actuator and a seek motor, which are not shown
in the figure). The light receiver outputs an electric
current (a current signal) corresponding to an amount of
received light to the reproduction signal processing
circuit 46.

The reproduction signal processing circuit 4 6
converts the current signal, which is an output of the
optical pickup device 42, into a voltage signal, and
detects a wobble signal, a reproduction signal and a
servo signal (a focus error signal, a track error
signal) based on the voltage signal. Then, the
reproduction signal processing circuit 4 6 extracts
address information and a synchronization signal, etc.,
from the wobble signal. The address information
extracted here is output to the CPU 53, and the
synchronization signal is output to the encoder 44.
Further, the reproduction signal processing circuit 46
performs an error correction process on the reproduction
signal, and, thereafter, store the reproduction signal
in the buffer RAM 48 through the buffer manager 49.
Additionally, the reproduction signal processing circuit
46 outputs the servo signal to the servo controller 47.
It should be noted that the reproduction signal
processing circuit 46 sets a servo parameter (for
example, a signal level adjustment gain, etc.)
corresponding to a type of the optical disc 55 according
to an instruction from the CPU 53.
The servo controller 47 generates a control
signal for controlling the optical pickup device 42
based on the servo signal, and outputs the control

signal to the motor driver 45. The buffer manager 4 9
manages input and output of data to the buffer RAM 48,
and when an amount of data accumulated reaches a
predetermined value, the buffer manager 49 sends a
notification to the CPU 53.
Based on the control signal an instruction
from the CPU 53, the encoder 44 retrieves the data
accumulated in the buffer RAM 4 8 through the buffer
manager 49, and adds an error correction code to the
data so as to produce write data for the optical disc 55.
Then, based on the instruction of the CPU 53, the
encoder 44 outputs the write data to the laser control
circuit 43 in synchronization with the synchronization
signal from the reproduction signal processing circuit
46.
The laser control circuit 43 controls a laser
light output from the optical pickup device 42 based on
the write data from the encoder 44. The interface 50 is
a bidirectional communication interface with the host
(for example, a personal computer, a DVD video recorder
backend) 56, and conforms to a standard interface such
as ATAPI (AT Attachment Packet Interface), SCSI (Small
Computer System Interface), etc.
The ROM 51 stores programs including a program
(hereinafter, referred to as "disc distinguish program")

which distinguishes a type of an optical disc described
by a code readable by the CPU 53. The flash memory 52
is a nonvolatile memory, which maintains recorded
contents even when a power is turned off, and is
readable or writable by the CPU 53. The CPU 53 controls
an operation of each part in accordance with the above-
mentioned program stored n the ROM 51, and temporarily
stores data necessary for the control in the RAM 34.
It should be noted that when a power of the
optical disc device 40 is turned on, the above-mentioned
program stored in the ROM 51 is loaded to a main memory
(not shown in the figure) of the CPU 53. Additionally,
the optical disc device 40 is capable of accessing, as
an example, a reproduction only DVD, a recordable DVD±R
and a rewritable DVD+RW.
FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram using a
preferable AGC method according to the present invention.
Signals VA, VB, VC and VD from the optical
pickup device 42 (PU 42) are arbitrarily multiplied by a
gain by a variable gain amplifier (VGA) 66. The gain
Ginpd can be set according to an instruction from the
CPU 53, and can be set by an INPDG control signal.
As for the focal error signal, an operation of
FE=Ginpdx [(A+C)-(B+D)] is performed by an FE
calculation circuit 61. As for the track error signal,

an operation of TE=Ginpdx [(B+C)-(A+D)] is performed by
a TE calculation circuit 62. As for a sum signal, an
operation of SUM=Ginpdx (A+B+C+D) is performed by a SUM
calculation circuit 63. A normalization circuit
includes an AGCCNT circuit 64 and VCAs 65. A gain of
each of the VCA 65 (VCA gain) is set so that a level of
the SUM signal input to the AGCCNT circuit 64 is equal
to a certain value, here, 0.5 V. When the level of the
SUM signal is 0.5 V, the VCA gain is four times. When
the level of the SUM signal is 0.5 V, the VCA gain is
two times. When the level of the SUM signal is 0.1 V,
the VCA gain is one time. That is, the TE signal and
the FE signal are multiplied by G=1/SUM.
The gain of each of the VCAs 65 for the TE
signal and the FE signal is represented by GAIN=1/SUM,
and an AGC operation of the FE signal and the TE signal
is carried out as follows at this time.
FEn=[(A+C )-(B+D)]/(A+B+C+D)
TEn=[(B+C )-(A+D)]/(A+B+C+D)
Although the gain range of each of the VCAs 65
covers a range from 0.7 to 5.6 times (-3dB to +15dB)
practically, it is desirable to use at +6dB as a center.
Therefore, what is necessary is to set INPDG so that the
gain of the VGA 66 becomes equal to +6dB. The gain
range of the VGA 66 also covers a range from 0.7 to 5.6

times (-3dB to +15dB) practically.
When the optical disk 55 is mounted in the
drive, an LD is turned on and a focus search is
performed to move an objective lens of the PU 42 upward
or downward. FIG. 13 shows a SUM signal and an MIRR
signal at that time. A peak value of the SUM signal is
output by a peak hold circuit shown in FIG. 12 as the
MIRR signal. The peak value of the SUM signal
corresponds to a case where a spot of the PU 42 is
focused on a disc surface, and a mirror surface level of
the optical disc 55 is detected.
A level of the MIRR signal is read by the CPU
53 and an AD converter (not shown in the figure) to know
the level. If the level is 1.0 V, a setting value of
0.5/1V=0.5=-6dB is calculated by the CPU 53, and is set
to INPDG. At this time, since the output from the PU 42
is multiplied by 0.5 by the INPDG of the VGA 66, the SUM
signal when applying a focus must be 0.5 V, which was
originally 1 V. Thus, the AGC gain of the VCA 65 at
that time must be the center of 1/0.5V=2=6dB.
Incidentally, if the INPDG is not set up
(unchanged at 0 dB), since the SUM signal remains
unchanged at IV, the AGC gain of the VCA 65 is 1/1V=1=0
dB, which is not preferable since it is close to a lower
limit of the practical AGC range.

The power of a reproduction light beam from
the optical pickup device 42 is about 0.7 mW. In this
condition, for example, the MIRR level of a reproduction
only DVD having a reflectance of 80% is 0.7 V. Thus, a
setting value of 0.5/0.7V=0.7 (corresponding to -3dB) is
calculated by the CPU 53, and is set to the INPDG. At
this time, since the output of the PU 42 is multiplied
by 0.7 by the INPDG of the VGA 66, the SUM signal when a
focus is applied becomes equal to 0.5 V. Thus, the AGC
gain of the VCA 65 becomes a center of 1/0.5=2
(corresponding to 6 dB), thereby exhibiting a good servo
performance.
The MIRR level of a dual-layer structure DVD
±RW having a reflectance of, for example, 5% is 0.045 V,
and, thus, a setting value of 0.5/0.045V=11
(corresponding to 21 dB) is calculated by the CPU 53.
However, this value exceeds 12 dB, which is an upper
limit of the practical AGC range of the VGA 66. Thus,
the power of the reproduction light beam from the light
pickup device 42 is set to about 1.4 mW, which is two
times the conventional value. At this time, the MIRR
level of the dual-layer structure DVD±RW having a
reflectance of 5% is 0.09 V. Thus, a setting value of
0.5/0.09V=5.6 (corresponding to 15 dB) is calculated by
the CPU 53, and is set to the INPDG. At this time,

since the output of the PU 42 is multiplied by 5.6 by
the INPDG of the VGA 66, the SUM signal when a focus is
applied becomes equal to 0.5 V. Thus, the AGC gain of
the VCA 65 becomes a center of 1/0.5=2 (corresponding to
6 dB), thereby exhibiting a good servo performance.
Although it is mentioned that the LD power is
about 0.7 mW, an actual value of the LD power may be in
a range of 0.5 to 0.9 mW since a control accuracy of the
semiconductor laser fluctuates about ±30% containing an
initial setting accuracy. Similarly, an actual value of
the LD power may be 1.0 to 1.8 mW when the LD power is
about 1.4 mW. That is, setting the power of the
reproduction light beam from the optical pickup device
42 to about 1.4 mW, which is two times the conventional
value, means that the power is set to 1.0 to 1.8 mW.
A description will now be given, with
reference to FIG. 14, of a conventional focus pull-in
method. After turning on the LD and moving the
objective lens of the PU 42 upward and downward by
performing a focus search, the FE signal (focus signal)
shown in FIG. 14 is obtained. This signal is for
focusing on the first recording structure layer 100 or
the second recording structure layer 200. However,
since a signal is generated at a surface of the cover
substrate 12, the focus is pulled in only when the SUM

signal is equal to or higher than a threshold level so
as to prevent a focus being erroneously pulled in at the
surface of the cover substrate 12. However, in the
dual-layer structure DVD±RW, which has a reflectance
about one-third of that of a recordable dual-layer DVD±R,
the SUM signal having the same level as that generated
by the first recording structure layer 100 and the
second recording structure layer 200 may be generated
from the surface of the cover substrate 12 as shown in
FIG. 15. Thereby, the threshold level to prevent a pull
in of a focus at the surface of the cover substrate 12
cannot be set. Thus, a pull in of a focus is performed
in a direction moving from the first recording structure
layer 100 to the second recording structure layer 200.
Additionally, a pull in of a focus can be
quick if a focal point (shown in FIG. 12) of a light
beam outgoing from the objective lens of the optical
pickup device 42 is located on the substrate 1 side of
the first recording layer 4, that is, beyond the first
recording layer 4.
It should be noted that there is provided
according to the present embodiment a processor readable
recording medium storing a program causing a computer to
perform the above-mentioned reproduction method and a
computer readable reproduction program causing a

computer to perform the above-mentioned reproduction
method.
A description will now be given of a phase-
change type optical recording medium according to a
second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is
an illustration of a cross section of a layer structure
of the phase-change type optical recording medium
according to the second embodiment of the present
invention. In FIG. 16, parts that are the same as the
parts shown in FIG. 2 are given the same reference
numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
The phase-change type optical recording medium
according to the second embodiment of the present
invention has the same structure as the above-mentioned
phase-change type optical recording medium according to
the first embodiment except for an interface layer 13
and a sixth protective layer 14 being added.
The interface layer 13 is provided between the
reflective layer 2 and the first protective layer 3, and
is made of TiC.TiO2. The sixth protective layer 14 is
provided between the fifth protective layer 11 and the
cover substrate 12, and is made of IZO.
The present invention is not limited to the
specifically disclosed embodiments, and variations and
modifications may be made without departing from the

scope of the present invention.
The present application is based on Japanese
priority Applications No. 2005-166268 filed June 6, 2005,
No. 2005-166269 filed June 6, 2005, No. 2005-347375
filed November 30, 2005 and No. 2006-01973 filed January
27, 2006, the entire contents of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference.


WE CLAIM:
1. A phase-change type optical recording medium
having two layers formed therein, wherein a product of a
reflectance of a high-reflection part and a modulation after
recording is set to a value equal to or higher than a lower
limit value for reproduction, wherein each of the recording
layers contains a composition of Ge, Ag, Sb and Te in which
the amount of Ge is 3 to 5 atomic %, and the amount of Ag is
equal to or less than 8 atomic %.
2. The phase-change type optical recording medium
as claimed in claim 1, wherein said product is set to be
equal to or higher than 2.8.
3. The phase-change type optical recording medium
as claimed in claim 1, wherein a recording groove of each of
said recording layer is spirally or concentrically formed,
and a reflectance of said phase-change type optical
recording medium is 4% to 10%.
4. The phase-change type optical recording medium
as claimed in claim 1, wherein a modulation after recording
is 0.4 to 0.65.
5. The phase-change type optical recording medium
as claimed in claim 1, wherein a tracking is performed when
a phase-difference signal is equal to or greater than 0.3.
6. The phase-change type optical recording
medium as claimed in claim 1, wherein a depth of groove of a
substrate is 200 Å to 300 Å, track pitch is 0.64 µm to 0.8

µm, and a width of the groove is 0.18 µm to 0.3 µm at a
half-value width.
7. A reproduction method of a multilayer phase-
change type optical recording medium having at least a first
recording structure layer, a resin intermediate layer (6), a
second recording structure layer and a cover substrate (12)
sequentially formed on a substrate, comprising:
setting a start position of a focusing operation
so that a focal point of a light beam is beyond a first
recording structure layer;
setting a first power of a reproduction light beam
for a rewritable multilayer phase-change type optical
recording medium higher than a second power of the
reproduction light beam for a reproduction only multilayer
optical recording medium; and
reproducing information recorded on said first and
second recording structure layers of said reproduction light
beam for a rewritable multilayer phase-change type optical
recording medium using the first power, wherein each of the
recording layers contains a composition of Ge, Ag, Sb and Te
in which the amount of Ge is 3 to 5 atomic %, and the
amount of Ag is equal to or less than 8 atomic %.
8. The reproduction method as claimed in claim 7,
wherein said first power is set to a value within a range
from 1.0 mW to 1.8 mW.
9. The reproduction method as claimed in claim 7,
wherein performing pull-in of a focus in a direction of
movement of an objective lens of an optical pickup device

from said first recording structure layer to said second
recording structure layer.
10. The reproduction method as claimed in claim 1,
wherein setting a start position of a focusing operation of
an objective lens of an optical pickup device so that a
focal point of a light beam outgoing from the objective lens
is beyond a first recording layer of said first recording
structure layer.
11. A reproduction apparatus of a multilayer
phase-change type optical recording medium having at least a
first recording structure layer, a resin intermediate layer
(6), a second recording structure layer and a cover
substrate (12) sequentially formed on a substrate,
comprising:
setting a start position of a focusing operation
so that a focal point of a light beam is beyond a first
recording structure layer;
a controller (47) setting a first power of a
reproduction light beam for a rewritable multilayer phase-
change type optical recording medium higher than a second
power of the reproduction light beam for a reproduction only
multilayer phase-change type optical recording medium; and
an optical pickup device (42) irradiating said
reproduction light beam having the first power onto said
rewritable multilayer phase-change type optical recording
medium so as to reproduce information recorded on said first
and second recording recording structure layers, wherein
each of the recording layers contains a composition of Ge,
Ag, Sb and Te in which the amount of Ge is 3 to 5 atomic %,
and the amount of Ag is equal to or less than 8 atomic %.

12. The reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim
11, wherein said first power is set to a value within a
range from 1.0 mW to 1.8mW.
13. The reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim
11, wherein said optical pickup device (42) performs pull-in
of a focus in a direction of an objective lens provided
therein moving from said first recording structure layer to
said second recording structure layer.
14. The reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim
11, wherein said controller (47) sets a start position of a
focusing operation of a objective lens of said optical
pickup device so that a focal point of a light beam outgoing
from the objective lens is beyond a first recording layer of
said first recording structure layer.


A dual-layer structure phase-change type
optical recording medium includes a substrate (1), a
reflective layer (2), a first protective layer (3), a
first recording layer (4), a second protective layer (5),
a resin intermediate layer (6), a third protective layer
(7), a heat release layer (8) made of Cu or a Cu alloy,
a fourth protective layer (9), a second recording layer
(10) , a fifth protective layer (11) and a cover
substrate (12). A product of a reflectance of a high-
reflection part and a modulation after recording is a
value equal to or higher than a lower limit value for
reproduction.

Documents:

00193-kolnp-2007 assignment.pdf

00193-kolnp-2007 correspondence-1.1.pdf

00193-kolnp-2007 correspondence-1.2.pdf

00193-kolnp-2007 form-18.pdf

00193-kolnp-2007-correspondence-1.3.pdf

00193-kolnp-2007-form-3-1.1.pdf

00193-kolnp-2007-p.a.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 abstract.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 claims.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 correspondence others.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 description(complete).pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 drawings.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 form-1.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 form-3.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 form-5.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 international publication.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 international search authority report.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 pct form.pdf

0193-kolnp-2007 priority document.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-ABSTRACT-1.1.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-ABSTRACT.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-AMANDED CLAIMS-1.1.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-AMANDED CLAIMS.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-AMANDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-assignment.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-CORRESPONDENCE 1.1.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-correspondence1.2.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE)-1.1.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE).pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-DRAWINGS-1.1.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-DRAWINGS.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-examination report.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-FORM 1.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-form 18.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-FORM 2-1.1.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-FORM 2.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-form 3.1.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-FORM 3.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-form 5.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-gpa.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-granted-abstract.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-CLAIMS.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE).pdf

193-kolnp-2007-granted-drawings.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-granted-form 1.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-granted-form 2.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-SPECIFICATION.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-OTHERS-1.1.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-OTHERS.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-PA.pdf

193-KOLNP-2007-REPLY TO EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf

193-kolnp-2007-reply to examination report1.1.pdf

abstract-00193-kolnp-2007.jpg


Patent Number 252148
Indian Patent Application Number 193/KOLNP/2007
PG Journal Number 18/2012
Publication Date 04-May-2012
Grant Date 30-Apr-2012
Date of Filing 16-Jan-2007
Name of Patentee RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Applicant Address 3-6, NAKAMAGOME 1-CHOME, OHTA-KU TOKYO, 143-8555
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 SHINOTSUKA,, MICHIAKI 6-45-211, RYUJYOGAOKA HIRATSUKA-SHI, KANAGAWA 254-0814
2 SEKIGUCHI,HIROYOSHI 17-27,EDAMINAMI 2-CHOME, TSUZUKI-KU,YOKOHAMA-SHI 224-0007
3 HIBINO,EIKO 7-2-306,NAKAMACHIDAI, 5-CHOME TSUZUKI-KU, YOKOHAMA-SHI, KANAGAWA 224-0041
4 KATO,MASAKI 10-11-101,HIGASHIRINKAN 2-CHOME,SAGAMIHARA-SHI, KANAGAWA 228-0811
5 YAMADA,KATSUYUKI 5791-1-401,IRIYA 3-CHOME, ZAMA-SHI,KANAGAWA 228-0024
6 NAKAYAMA, MASAHIKO 33-25-623,SAKURADAI AOBA-KU,YOKOHAMA-SHI, KANAGAWA 227-0061
7 SHINKAI, MASARU 683, KAWASHIMACHO, HODOGAYA-KU,YOKOHAMA-SHI,HANAGAWA 240-0045
PCT International Classification Number G11B 7/24
PCT International Application Number PCT/JP2006/310516
PCT International Filing date 2006-05-19
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 2005-347375 2005-11-30 Japan
2 2005-166268 2005-06-06 Japan
3 2005-166269 2005-06-06 Japan
4 2006-019730 2006-01-27 Japan