OPTICAL RECORDING MEDIUM, INFORMATION RECORDING METHOD, INFORMATION REPRODUCING METHOD, INFORMATION RECORDING AND REPRODUCING DEVICE AND INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical recording medium which is excellent in wear resistance and impact resistance and by which high density recording is made possible. SOLUTION: The optical recording medium wherein recording and reproduction of information is performed by light irradiation is characterized in that a recording layer 2 formed on a substrate 1 consists of carbon. The carbon is preferably (1) to be amorphous in an unrecorded state, (2) to be diamond like carbon and (3) to contain hydrogen or nitrogen respectively. The recording layer is formed on a glass substrate in an embodiment. In this case, the recording layer of a carbon film is formed by a sputtering method using a target of graphite for forming a recording film of the unrecorded state in an amorphous state. High density recording and reproduction can be performed using near field light by the optical recording medium.