Optical recording medium and optical memory device

摘要

The optical recording medium has sandwiched between protective layers a mask layer whose refractive index is changed in one part within a light spot when irradiated with a laser beam of 2 to 4 mW. In a region where the refractive index is changed or in other remaining regions, the difference in the amount of reflected light between the crystalline state and the amorphous state is so small that a reproduced signal is difficult to identify. By reducing the size of a portion where the reproduced signal can be seen, it is possible to read high-density recorded information.