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Abstract

A recording medium includes a first substance and a second substance at least in which the first and second substances undergo an oxidation-reduction reaction when an external energy is applied, thereby recording information by varying the optical characteristics. In the recording medium, the reaction of the first and second substances is suppressed, reaction which degrades the recording characteristics other than the case where the recording medium is subjected to recording. In an optical disk 100 (i.e., the recording medium), a WO3 film 2 (i.e., a second substance), a C film 3 (i.e., a third substance) and an Sn-10 atomic % Sr film 4 (i.e., a first substance) are formed successively on a substrate 1. When the recording medium is irradiated with a recording laser beam as an external energy, the WO3 forming the film 2 is reduced to WO2.83, and the Sn-10 atomic % Sr forming the film 4 is oxidized to SrO and/or SnO mainly with the WO3 and the Sn-10 atomic % Sr passing through the C film 3 and/or destroying the C film 3. When the recording medium is not irradiated with the recording laser beam, the presence of the C film 3 suppresses the reaction between the WO3 film 2 and the Sn-10 atomic % Sr film 4.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.