Information storage medium having super resolution structure and apparatus for recording to and/or reproducing from the same

A super-resolution information storage medium to be used with an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus from which an incident beam having a resolution limit is irradiated, the medium comprising:

• a read-only-memory (ROM) having a surface on which reproducing pits that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam are formed;
• a first dielectric layer formed adjacent to the surface on which the reproducing pits are formed;
• a super-resolution reproduction layer adjacent to the first dielectric layer and containing a combination of a super-resolution material and a high melting point material, the high melting point material having a higher melting point which is approximately 1,100° C. higher than the super-resolution material;
• a second dielectric layer formed adjacent to the super-resolution layer;
• and
• a cover layer to protect the surface on which the reproducing pits are formed, the super-resolution reproduction layer, and the first and second dielectric layers.

A super-resolution information storage medium to be used with an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus from which an incident beam having a resolution limit determined by an objective lens is irradiated, the medium comprising:

• a substrate having a first surface on which reproducing pits that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam are formed and a second surface, opposite the first surface, towards which the incident beam is irradiated;
• a first dielectric layer formed adjacent to the surface on which the reproducing pits are formed;
• a super-resolution reproduction layer adjacent to the first dielectric layer and containing a combination of a super-resolution material and a high melting point material, the high melting point material having a higher melting point which is approximately 1,100° C. higher than the super-resolution material;
• and
• a second dielectric layer formed adjacent to the super-resolution reproduction layer.

An information storage medium to reproduce recording marks that are smaller than a resolution limit of a beam that is incident from an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the medium comprising:

• a substrate having a surface on which reproducing pits that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam are formed;
• a first dielectric layer formed adjacent to the substrate;
• a recording layer in which information is recorded as recording marks that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam, the recording layer being formed adjacent to the first dielectric layer;
• a second dielectric layer formed adjacent to the recording layer;
• a super-resolution reproduction layer adjacent to the second dielectric layer and containing a combination of a super-resolution material and a high melting point material, the high melting point material having a higher melting point which is approximately 1,100° C. higher than the super-resolution material;
• a third dielectric layer formed adjacent to the super-resolution layer;
• and
• a cover layer to protect the surface on which the reproducing pits are formed, the recording layer, the super-resolution reproduction layer, and the first, second, and third dielectric layers.

An information storage medium to reproduce recording marks smaller than a resolution limit of a beam that is incident from an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the resolution limit being determined by an objective lens of the apparatus, the medium comprising:

• a substrate having a surface on which reproducing pits that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam are formed and a second surface, opposite the first surface, towards which the incident beam is irradiated;
• a first dielectric layer formed adjacent to the substrate;
• a super-resolution reproduction layer adjacent to the first dielectric layer and containing a combination of a super-resolution material and a high melting point material, the high melting point material having a higher melting point which is approximately 1,100° C. higher than the super-resolution material;
• a second dielectric layer formed adjacent to the super-resolution reproduction layer;
• a recording layer in which information is recorded as recording marks that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam, the recording layer being formed adjacent to the first dielectric layer;
• and
• a third dielectric layer formed adjacent to the recording layer.

An information storage medium to be used with a recording/reproducing apparatus, the medium comprising:

• a 0.6 mm thick polycarbonate ROM substrate having pits with a length of 150 nm, a depth of 50 nm, and a track pitch of 0.74 μm;
• a 50 nm thick ZnS—SiO2 dielectric layer;
• a 20 nm thick super-resolution reproduction layer made of Ge—Sb—Te acting as a super-resolution material and ZnS—SiO2 acting as a high melting point material;
• and
• a 50 nm thick ZnS—SiO2 dielectric layer.

A super-resolution information storage medium to be used with an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus including a signal processor, a controller, and an optical pickup from which an incident beam having a resolution limit is irradiated, the medium reflecting a beam, related to the incident beam, which is converted into an electrical signal read by the signal processor to generate servo signals used by the controller to control the optical pickup, the medium comprising:

• a read-only-memory (ROM) having a surface on which reproducing pits that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam are formed;
• a first dielectric layer formed adjacent to the surface on which the reproducing pits are formed;
• a super-resolution reproduction layer adjacent to the first dielectric layer containing a combination of a super-resolution material and a high melting point material, the high melting point material having a higher melting point which is approximately 1,100° C. higher than the super-resolution material;
• a second dielectric layer formed adjacent to the super-resolution reproduction layer;
• and
• a cover layer to protect the surface on which the reproducing pits are formed, the super-resolution reproduction layer, and the first and second dielectric layers.

A super-resolution information storage medium to be used with an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus from which an incident beam having a resolution limit is irradiated, the medium comprising:

• a read-only-memory (ROM) having a surface on which reproducing pits that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam are formed;
• a super-resolution reproduction layer adjacent to the first dielectric layer and containing a combination of a super-resolution material and a high melting point material, the high melting point material having a higher melting point which is approximately 1,100° C. higher than the super-resolution material;
• and
• a set of dielectric layers to separate the ROM surface and the super-resolution reproduction layer.

An information storage medium to reproduce recording marks that are smaller than a resolution limit of a beam that is incident from an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the medium comprising:

• a substrate having a surface on which reproducing pits that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam are formed;
• a recording layer in which information is recorded as recording marks that are smaller than the resolution limit of the incident beam;
• a super-resolution reproduction layer containing a combination of a super-resolution material and a high melting point material, the high melting point material having a higher melting point which is approximately 1,100° C. higher than the super-resolution material;
• and
• a set of dielectric layers to separate the substrate, the recording layer, and the super-resolution layer.