Optical recording medium and information record with indented overcoat

In an information record having an information track therein which comprises:

• a substrate;
• an absorptive layer which overlies the substrate and which is composed of a material which is absorptive of light at the wavelength of a recording light beam;
• and
• an overcoat layer, overlying the absorptive layer, which is transmissive of light at the wavelength of the recording light beam and a readout light beam;
• the improvement which comprises:
• the overcoat layer having one or more indentations in the surface which contacts the absorptive layer thereby forming first regions of the information recording medium wherein the overcoat layer does not contact the absorptive layer and wherein the first regions are arranged as circular or spiral grooves spaced apart from one another by the second regions;
• wherein the information track comprises areas of the first region having different optical properties from the unperturbed portions of the first region and which are spaced apart from one another along the groove only by unperturbed portions of the first region.

In an optical recording medium which comprises:

• a substrate;
• an absorptive layer which overlies the substrate and which is composed of a material which is absorptive of light at the wavelength of a recording light beam;
• and
• an overcoat layer, contacting the absorptive layer, which is transmissive of light at the wavelength of the recording light beam;
• the improvement which comprises:
• the overcoat layer having one or more indentations in the surface which contacts the absorptive layer thereby forming first regions of the recording medium wherein the overcoat layer does not contact the absorptive layer and second regions wherein the overcoat layer contacts the absorptive layer and wherein the surface of the absorptive layer which contacts the indented surface of the overcoat layer is smooth.