MULTI-LAYER INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM, INFORMATION RECORDING/REPRODUCING DEVICE, AND MULTI-LAYER INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM MANUFACTURING METHOD

摘要

It is possible to assure a lower-node compatibility with an information recording medium which is already available on market or whose format is known and perform recording/reproduction onto/from a multi-layer information recording medium of a new format by using a conventional information recording/reproducing device. The multi-layer information recording medium has a plurality of layered information planes (L0 to L3). The information planes include: a first and a second information plane (L0, L1) having a BCA for reflecting an incident light with a predetermined first return light quantity and an initial recording area (first reflection plane); and a third and a fourth information planes (L2, L3) having a low-reflectance area (second reflection plane) for reflecting a light with a second return light quantity which is smaller than the first return light quantity.