Method and apparatus for manufacturing optical recording medium

An optical recording medium manufacturing apparatus for forming an optical recording medium by hardening a hardening resin between a resin plate and a template, said apparatus comprising:

• a mold structured so as to compression-mold thermoplastic resin fed into a cavity;
• a compression molding mechanism for molding said thermoplastic resin by compressing at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure, the compression molding mechanism including a controlling means for controlling the pressure at which the thermoplastic resin is compressed in said mold to be lower than a pressure at which said resin plate deforms due to a reduction in pressure against said resin plate after molding;
• a thermoplastic resin supplying mechanism for feeding said thermoplastic resin into said cavity of said mold;
• and
• a hardening resin bonding apparatus for manufacturing said optical recording medium by putting melted hardening resin between a resin plate produced by compressing said thermoplastic resin by said mold and said template having a predetermined uneven pattern, and by hardening said hardening resin.

A method of forming an optical recording medium resin plate comprising:

• heating a thermoplastic resin to a temperature where said thermoplastic resin melts;
• feeding said thermoplastic resin into a mold;
• and
• compression molding said thermoplastic resin into said resin plate at a temperature less than an oxidation temperature of said thermoplastic resin and at a pressure less than a deformation pressure of said resin plate after molding;
• wherein said compression molding step includes a controlling step for controlling the pressure at which said thermoplastic resin is compressed in said compression molding step to be less than a pressure at which said resin plate deforms due to reduction in pressure against said resin plate after molding.