SUPERHIGH-RESOLUTION OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUM, AND METHOD FOR RECORDING INFORMATION IN SUPERHIGH-RESOLUTION OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUM

摘要

A superhigh-resolution optical recording medium (10) is constituted to include a recording layer (16) and a superhigh-resolution layer (20) on a substrate (12). In the recording layer (16), shortest recording mark (26) are formed together with spaces (28) in a beam spot of a laser beam at a recording time. Each recording mark (26) has a size not larger than the resolution limit in a regenerating optical system so that it can be regenerated by the regenerating optical system because of the presence of the superhigh-resolution layer (20). Moreover, such an AFM image in a plan view of the surface as appears when the recording layer (16) is substantially exposed, is formed into convex arcs (26A) on the leading side and concave arcs (26B) on the trailing side. The spaces (28) are also given a similar shape.