Optical information recording medium and method

A phase-change optical recording medium, comprising:

• a polycarbonate substrate with a thickness of approximately 0.6 mm provided thereon with a recording layer which essentially consists of Sb and Te, with a ratio in atom % of α(Sb):β(Te)=1.0:1/2.2 or less, and essentially free of Ge, and with a crystallization accelerating layer, which is formed contiguously to said recording layer, essentially consisting of record stabilization materials and crystallization accelerating materials;
• wherein said polycarbonate substrate is adhered to a second polycarbonate substrate with a thickness of approximately 0.6 mm to form said optical recording medium with a thickness of approximately 1.2 mm.

A phase-change optical recording medium, comprising:

• a polycarbonate substrate with a thickness of approximately 1.0 mm or more provided thereon with a recording layer which essentially consists of Sb and Te, with a ratio in atom % of α(Sb):β(Te)=1.0:1/2.2 or less, and essentially free of Ge, and with a crystallization accelerating layer, which is formed contiguously to said recording layer, essentially consisting of record stabilization materials and crystallization accelerating materials.

A phase-change optical recording medium, comprising:

• a polycarbonate substrate with a thickness of approximately 1.0 mm or more provided thereon with at least two sets of a recording layer which essentially consists of Sb and Te, with a ratio in atom % of α(Sb):β(Te)=1.0:1/2.2 or less, and essentially free of Ge, and a crystallization accelerating layer, which is formed contiguously to said recording layer, essentially consisting of record stabilization materials and crystallization accelerating materials.

A phase-change optical recording medium, comprising:

• a polycarbonate substrate with a thickness of approximately 0.6 mm provided thereon with a recording layer which essentially consists of Sb and Te, with a ratio in atom % of α(Sb):β(Te)=1.0:1/2.2 or less, and Ge of 5 atom % or less, and with a crystallization accelerating layer, which is formed contiguously to said recording layer, and essentially consists of record stabilization materials and crystallization accelerating materials;
• wherein said polycarbonate substrate is adhered to a second polycarbonate substrate of approximately 0.6 mm thickness to form said optical recording medium with a thickness of approximately 1.2 mm.

A phase-change optical recording medium, comprising:

• a polycarbonate substrate with a thickness of approximately 1.0 mm or more provided thereon with a recording layer which essentially consists of Sb and Te, with a ratio in atom % of α(Sb):β(Te)=1.0:1/2.2 or less, and Ge of 5 atom % or less, and with a crystallization accelerating layer, which is formed contiguously to said recording layer, essentially consisting of record stabilization materials and crystallization accelerating materials.

A phase-change optical recording medium, comprising:

• a polycarbonate substrate with a thickness of approximately 1.0 mm or more provided thereon with at least two of each of recording layer and crystallization accelerating layer, said recording layer essentially consisting of Sb and Te, with a ratio in atom % of α(Sb):β(Te)=1.0:1/2.2 or less, and Ge of 5 atom % or less, and said crystallization accelerating layer, which is formed contiguously to said recording layer, essentially consisting of record stabilization materials and crystallization accelerating materials.

A method for recording information data onto a phase-change optical recording medium, said recording medium comprising a recording layer, which contains Sb and Te elements, and essentially free of other elements or at least essentially free of other elements selected from the group consisting of Group I and II elements;

• and a second layer containing at least one of said other elements, comprising the step of:
• diffusing at least one of said other elements into said recording layer during recording steps under irradiation with energetic beams so that a content of said at least one other elements in said recording layer is increased relative to immediately after the formation of said recording layer.