Optical information medium, making method, recording/reading method, and inspecting method

Abstract

In an optical information medium comprising a supporting substrate, an information recording layer thereon, and a light-transmitting layer wherein a recording/reading laser beam enters the recording layer through the light-transmitting layer, the light-transmitting layer is formed of a resin and has a tensile strength at break of 5-40 MPa, a tensile elongation at break of 15-100%, and a tensile modulus of 40-1,000 MPa. The medium has improved recording/reading characteristics when a laser beam defines a beam spot having a small diameter of up to 300 μm and the medium is rotated at a high linear velocity of at least 8 m/s.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An optical information medium comprising a supporting substrate, an information recording layer thereon, and a light-transmitting layer on the information recording layer wherein a recording or reading laser beam enters the information recording layer through the light-transmitting layer, 
 said light-transmitting layer is formed of a resin and has a tensile strength at break of 5 to 40 MPa, a tensile elongation at break of 15 to 100%, and a tensile modulus of 40 to 1,000 MPa.    
     
     
         2 . The optical information medium of  claim 1  wherein said light-transmitting layer has a thickness of 30 to 200 μm.  
     
     
         3 . An optical information medium of  claim 1  wherein 
 said light-transmitting layer in an information recording region has a birefringence in absolute value of up to 20 nm at a wavelength of 630 nm and a birefringence distribution breadth of up to 20 nm at a wavelength of 630 nm.  
 
     
     
         4 . An optical information medium of  claim 1  wherein 
 said light-transmitting layer has a surface reflectivity of up to 10% at the wavelength of the recording or reading laser beam.  
 
     
     
         5 . An optical information medium of  claim 1  wherein 
 R/F is up to 10% wherein R is a residual error component of a focus error signal at a linear velocity during recording or reading and F is a peak-to-peak value of a focus sensitivity curve.  
 
     
     
         6 . An optical information medium of  claim 1  wherein 
 said medium satisfies Wt≦1840e −0.04V  wherein said light-transmitting layer at its surface has a maximum waviness Wt (in nm) and said medium is moved at a linear velocity V (in m/s) during recording or reading, with the proviso that the recording or reading laser beam defines on the surface of said light-transmitting layer a beam spot having a diameter of up to 300 μm.  
 
     
     
         7 . The optical information medium of  claim 1  which is to be operated at a linear velocity of at least 8 m/s.  
     
     
         8 . The optical information medium of  claim 1  on which recording or reading is performed by a system including an objective lens having a numerical aperture NA and emitting a recording or reading beam having a wavelength of λ wherein λ/NA≦780 nm.  
     
     
         9 . An optical information medium comprising a supporting substrate, an information recording layer thereon, and a light-transmitting layer on the information recording layer wherein a recording or reading laser beam enters the information recording layer through the light-transmitting layer, 
 said light-transmitting layer in an information recording region has a birefringence in absolute value of up to 20 nm at a wavelength of 630 nm and a birefringence distribution breadth of up to 20 nm at a wavelength of 630 nm.    
     
     
         10 . The optical information medium of claims  9  which is to be operated at a linear velocity of at least 8 m/s.  
     
     
         11 . The optical information medium of  claim 9  on which recording or reading is performed by a system including an objective lens having a numerical aperture NA and emitting a recording or reading beam having a wavelength of λ wherein λ/NA≦780 nm.  
     
     
         12 . An optical information medium comprising a supporting substrate, an information recording layer thereon, and a light-transmitting layer on the information recording layer wherein a recording or reading laser beam enters the information recording layer through the light-transmitting layer, 
 said light-transmitting layer has a surface reflectivity of up to 10% at the wavelength of the recording or reading laser beam.    
     
     
         13 . The optical information medium of  claim 12  which is to be operated at a linear velocity of at least 8 m/s.  
     
     
         14 . The optical information medium of  claim 12  on which recording or reading is performed by a system including an objective lens having a numerical aperture NA and emitting a recording or reading beam having a wavelength of λ wherein λ/NA≦780 nm.  
     
     
         15 . An optical information medium comprising a supporting substrate, an information recording layer thereon, and a light-transmitting layer on the information recording layer wherein a recording or reading laser beam enters the information recording layer through the light-transmitting layer, 
 R/F is up to 10% wherein R is a residual error component of a focus error signal at a linear velocity during recording or reading and F is a peak-to-peak value of a focus sensitivity curve.    
     
     
         16 . The optical information medium of  claim 15  which is to be operated at a linear velocity of at least 8 m/s.  
     
     
         17 . The optical information medium of  claim 15  on which recording or reading is performed by a system including an objective lens having a numerical aperture NA and emitting a recording or reading beam having a wavelength of λ wherein λ/NA≦780 nm.  
     
     
         18 . An optical information medium comprising a supporting substrate, an information recording layer thereon, and a light-transmitting layer on the information recording layer wherein a recording or reading laser beam enters the information recording layer through the light-transmitting layer, wherein 
 said medium satisfies Wt≦1840e −0.04V  wherein said light-transmitting layer at its surface has a maximum waviness Wt (in nm) and said medium is moved at a linear velocity V (in m/s) during recording or reading, with the proviso that the recording or reading laser beam defines on the surface of said light-transmitting layer a beam spot having a diameter of up to 300 μm.    
     
     
         19 . The optical information medium of  claim 18  wherein said light-transmitting layer includes a light-transmitting sheet formed of a resin and an adhesive layer which joins the light-transmitting sheet to the supporting substrate side, 
 said adhesive layer comprising a cured product of a UV-curable resin and having an average thickness of 0.5 μm to less than 5 μm.  
 
     
     
         20 . The optical information medium of  claim 18  wherein said light-transmitting layer includes a light-transmitting sheet formed of a resin and an adhesive layer which joins the light-transmitting sheet to the supporting substrate side, 
 said light-transmitting sheet being constructed from a polycarbonate, polyarylate or cyclic polyolefin by a casting technique.  
 
     
     
         21 . The optical information medium of  claim 18  which is to be operated at a linear velocity of at least 8 m/s.  
     
     
         22 . The optical information medium of  claim 18  on which recording or reading is performed by a system including an objective lens having a numerical aperture NA and emitting a recording or reading beam having a wavelength of λ wherein λ/NA≦780 nm.  
     
     
         23 . A method for preparing the optical information medium of  claim 18 , in which said light-transmitting layer includes a light-transmitting sheet formed of a resin and an adhesive layer which joins the light-transmitting sheet to the supporting substrate side, said adhesive layer being comprised of a cured product of a UV-curable resin, 
 said method comprising the step of irradiating UV radiation to a coating of the UV-curable resin for curing the resin to form said adhesive layer, the UV radiation irradiated having an energy density of up to 1,000 mW/cm 2 .    
     
     
         24 . In connection with an optical information medium comprising a supporting substrate, an information recording layer thereon, and a light-transmitting layer on the information recording layer, wherein said light-transmitting layer has a birefringence in absolute value of up to 20 nm at a wavelength of 630 nm and a birefringence distribution breadth of up to 20 nm at a wavelength of 630 nm, 
 a recording or reading method wherein recording or reading is performed by passing a recording or reading laser beam to said information recording layer through said light-transmitting layer.    
     
     
         25 . In connection with an optical information medium comprising a supporting substrate, an information recording layer thereon, and a light-transmitting layer on the information recording layer having a surface reflectivity of up to 10% at a recording or reading wavelength, 
 a recording or reading method wherein recording or reading is performed by passing a recording or reading laser beam to said information recording layer through said light-transmitting layer.    
     
     
         26 . A method for inspecting optical information media comprising a supporting substrate, an information recording layer thereon, and a light-transmitting layer on the information recording layer wherein a recording or reading laser beam enters the information recording layer through the light-transmitting layer, 
 said method comprising selecting those optical information media in which R/F is up to 10% wherein R is a residual error component of a focus error signal at a linear velocity during recording or reading and F is a peak-to-peak value of a focus sensitivity curve.