INFORMATION RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS

摘要

This invention provides a high-recording density and low-power consumption nonvolatile information recording/reproducing apparatus. The information recording/reproducing apparatus in an embodiment comprises a laminated structure comprising an electrode layer and a recording layer, a buffer layer added to the electrode layer, and means for applying voltage to the recording layer to cause a phase change in the recording layer and thus to record information. The recording layer comprises a double compound containing at least two types of cations, and at least one of the cations is a cation of a transition element having a d-orbit unsatisfactorilly filled with electrons. The recording layer is formed of a material represented by CuxAyXz, wherein 0.1 = x = 1.1, 0.9 = y = 1.1, and 1.8 = z = 2.2, and contains a first compound having a delafosite structure. The buffer layer is formed of a material represented by M<SUB>3</SUB>N<SUB>4</SUB>, M<SUB>3</SUB>N<SUB>5</SUB>, MN<SUB>2</SUB>, M<SUB>4</SUB>O<SUB>7</SUB>, MO<SUB>2</SUB>, or M<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>5</SUB>.