The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 09, 2003
Filed:
Mar. 28, 2000
Junji Tominaga, Tsukuba-shi Ibaraki 305-0035, JP;
Nobufumi Atoda, Tsukuba, JP;
Hiroshi Fuji, Soraku-gun, JP;
Hiroyuki Katayama, Nara, JP;
Kenji Ohta, Kitakatsuragi-gun, JP;
Other;
Abstract
An optical device and a recording medium are provided with a recording layer for recording information by radiation of light, and a mask layer which is formed closely to the recording layer, reduces its transmittance of light due to light or heat, and transmits light to the recording layer by using a near-field effect. An optical reproducing and recording method includes the steps of: emitting a laser beam onto the mask layer, generating a near field around an area of the mask layer that has transmittance being reduced by the laser beam, and reproducing or recording optical information in the recording layer by interaction between the near field and the recording layer. With this method, it is possible to provide the optical device, recording medium, and optical reproducing and recording method that can realize a high S/N ratio upon reproducing and recording and that can readily form a recording mark.