Apparatus for optical disc memory with correction pattern and master

Abstract

A record carrier having a disc-shaped substrate and a recording layer for optically writing information therein is disclosed which includes a guide groove extended in the rotational direction of the record carrier so that a plurality of revolutions of the guide groove are spaced apart from each other in radial directions of the record carrier, and a pit pattern provided between adjacent guide grooves, at positions arranged at intervals in the above rotational direction, for detecting the deviation of a light spot from the center line between adjacent guide grooves. The recording/reproducing operation for this record carrier is performed in such a manner that the first tracking error signal is detected from diffracted light from the guide groove, the second tracking error signal is detected from the pit pattern, and information is recorded in and reproduced from a land formed between adjacent guide grooves in a state that a tracking operation is performed using the first and second tracking error signals. The second tracking error signal detected from the pit pattern is not affected by the tilting of the record carrier and the movement of the light spot. When a tracking signal obtained by adding the first and second tracking error signals to each other, is used in a closed-loop tracking system, a stable tracking operation can be performed. The polarity of the pit pattern is reversed on every track, and hence a polarity pit having a depth of .lambda./4 (where .lambda. indicates the wavelength of a reproducing light beam) is provided in the record carrier, to reverse the polarity of the second tracking signal on every track on the basis of a signal from the polarity pit.