Optical information storage medium

Claim 2

An optical information storage medium comprising a substantially transparent substrate and an information carrying layer positioned on one side of the substrate, wherein said information carrying layer contains at least 30 percent by volume of tin and at least 20 percent by volume of nickel oxide.

Claim 3

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 1, in which said information carrying layer is formed on one surface of said substrate.

Claim 4

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a first spacer layer formed on one surface of said substrate and a second spacer layer which intervenes between said first spacer layer and said information carrying layer, wherein said first spacer layer is substantially transparent to a radiation with a predetermined wavelength and is larger in refractive index than said substrate at said wavelength and said second spacer layer is substantially transparent to said radiation and is smaller in refractive index than said first spacer layer at said wavelength.

Claim 5

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 3, further comprising an additional layer of an organic compound intervening between said second spacer layer and said information carrying layer.

Claim 6

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 1, in which said information carrying layer further contains an additional material which consists at least one of carbon, aluminum, titanium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, germanium, zirconium, niobium, molybdeneum, rhodium, palladium, silver, tantalum, tungsten, platinum, and gold.

Claim 7

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 5, in which said additional material accounts for about 10 percent to about 15 percent by volume of said information carrying layer.

Claim 8

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 1, in which said information carrying layer has a thickness with a range of from about 100 angstroms to about 1000 angstroms.

Claim 9

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 1, in which said information carrying layer has a thickness with a range of from about 150 angstroms to about 500 angstroms.

Claim 10

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 3, in which said first spacer layer contains at least one of (1-1) an oxide selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxicde, cerium oxide, chromium oxide, iron oxides, germanium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, manganese dioxide, molybdenum oxide, niobium oxide, nickel oxide, silicon oxide, samarium oxide, tin oxide, tantalum oxide, tellurium oxide, titanium oxide, vanadium oxide, tungsten oxide, yttrium oxide, zinc oxide, and zirconium oxide; (1-2) a nitride selected from the group consisting of trisilicon nitride, and zirconium nitride; (1-3) a carbide such as, for example, zirconium carbide; (1-4) a sulfide selected from the group consisting of germanium sulfide, and zirconium sulfide; (1-5) a phthalocyanine dyestuff selected from the group consisting of cobalt phthalocyanine, copper phthalocyanine, magnesium phthalocyanine, nickel phthalocyanine, and zinc phthalocyanine; (1-6) an organic compound such as 3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxyl dianhydride or guanine; (1-7) any of magnetic garnets; and (1-8) silicon, selenium, germanium, boron or a compound containing one or more of these.

Claim 11

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 3, in which said second spacer layer contains at least one of (2-1) a fluoride selected from the group consisting of aluminum fluoride, barium fluoride, calcium fluoride, cerium fluoride, dysprodium fluoride, erbium fluoride, europium fluoride, gadolinium fluoride, hafnium fluoride, holmium fluoride, lanthanium fluoride, lithium fluoride, magnesium fluoride, sodium fluoride, neodimium fluoride, praseodymium fluoride, samarium fluoride, strontium fluoride, yttrium fluoride, and ytterbium fluoride; (2-2) an oxide selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, chromium oxide, dysprodium oxide (Dy 2 O 3 ), erbium oxide, europium oxide, iron oxides, gadolinium oxide, germanium oxide, hafnium oxide, holmium oxide, indium oxide, lutetium oxide, magnesium oxide, manganese oxide, molybdenum oxide, diniobium pentoxide, nickel oxide, silicon oxide, samarium oxide, tin oxide, ditantalum pentoxide, tellurium oxide, titanium oxide, vanadium oxide, tungsten oxide, yttrium oxide, zinc oxide, and zirconium oxide; (2-3) a nitride such as, for example, zirconium nitride; (2-4) a carbide such as zirconium carbide; (2-5) a sulfide selected from the group consisting of germanium sulfide, and zirconium sulfide; (2-6) a phthalocyanine dyestuff selected from the group consisting of cobalt phthalocyanine, copper phthalocyanine, magnesium phthalocyanine, molybdenum phthalocyanine, nickel phthalocyanine, zinc phthalocyanine, and Sudan Black "B"; (2-7) any of photoresist materials; and (2-8) an organic compound such as any of electron-beam resist materials, polystyrene, or guanine.

Claim 12

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 4, in which said additional layer contains at least one of (3-1) an organic compound such as 3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxyl dianhydride, guanine or crystal violet lactone; and (3-2) an organic dyestuff such as (3-2-1) a phthalocyanine dyestuff selected from the group consisting of cobalt phthalocyanine, copper phthalocyanine, magnesium phthalocyanine, nickel phthalocyanine, and zinc phthalocyanine, (3-2-2) an alkyl substitution product of any of these phthalocyanine dyestuffs, (3-2-3) an anthraquinone dyestuff; or (3-2-4) a dyestuff absorptive of a near-infrared radiation such as, 5-amino-8-(p-ethoxyanilino)-2,3-dicyano-1,4-naphthoquinone.

Claim 13

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 11, in which said additional layer contains a dyestuff absorptive of a near-infrared radiation, wherein said additional layer has a thickness less than about 300 angstroms.

Claim 14

An optical information storage medium as set forth in claim 1, in which a said substrate consistsm of a synthetic resin, glass or porcelain, said synthetic resin being an acrylic resin such as polymethyl methacrylate; poly carbonate; polyetherimido; polysulfone; an epoxy resin; or polyvinyl chloride.