| abstract |
The information recording medium of the present invention is provided with a substrate and an information layer including a recording layer. Rerecording and reproducing of information are performed by irradiating the information layer with a laser beam. The recording layer contains, as its main component, a material composed of Te, O, and M, where M denotes at least one element selected from Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Au. In the material, the content of Te atom is 1 to 19 atom %, the content of O atom is 20 to 70 atom % (preferably 40 to 70 atom %), the content of M atom is 11 to 79 atom % (preferably 11 to 59 atom %, and more preferably more than 35 atom %). The material is, for example, is indicated as the region enclosed by A, B, C, and D, preferably by C, D, E, and F, and more preferably by E, F, H, and G, in the composition diagram of a ternary material of Te—O—Pd shown in FIG. 1. |