Optical information recording medium, method and apparatus for recording and reproducing for the same

1. An optical information recording medium, comprising at least one information layer that is provided on a transparent substrate and that includes a protective layer and a write-once recording layer that are disposed in this order from a side of the transparent substrate from which an optical beam is incident on the optical information recording medium,

wherein the recording layer contains at least one selected from the group consisting of Cr—O, Zn—O, Ga—O, In—O, Sn—O, Sb—O, Bi—O, and Te—O, and

the protective layer contains Zn—O and Cr—O, and when the total amount of all atoms other than an oxygen atom contained in the protective layer is taken as 100 atom %, the amount of atoms of Zn is 33 atom % to 96 atom % and the amount of atoms of Cr is at least 4 atom % but less than 50 atom %, in the protective layer.

2. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the protective layer further contains S, and when the total amount of all atoms other than an oxygen atom contained in the protective layer is taken as 100 atom %, the amount of atoms of S in the protective layer is 2 atom % or lower.

3. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the information layer further includes a buffer layer disposed between the protective layer and the recording layer.

4. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the recording layer contains Te—O.

5. The optical information recording medium according to claim 4 , wherein the recording layer further contains at least either one selected from Pd and Au.

6. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1 , further comprising a protective substrate disposed on an opposite side to the transparent substrate with respect to the information layer.

7. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the information layer is provided with a groove, and the groove has a pitch of 1 μm or smaller.

8. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1 , comprising n information layers including a first information layer to an n-th information layer (where n is an integer of at least 2) on the transparent substrate, wherein at least one information layer selected from the group consisting of the first information layer to the n-th information layer includes the protective layer and the recording layer that are disposed in this order from the side of the transparent substrate.

9. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the information layer further includes a reflective layer disposed on a side opposite to the protective layer with respect to the recording layer.

10. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the information layer further includes an interlayer disposed on a side opposite to the protective layer with respect to the recording layer.

11. A method of recording and reproducing with respect to an optical information recording medium, wherein an optical information recording medium according to claim 1 is irradiated with an optical beam having a wavelength of 450 nm or shorter and thereby information is recorded thereon or reproduced therefrom.

12. An apparatus for recording and reproducing with respect to an optical information recording medium, comprising at least a recording and reproducing unit in which an optical information recording medium according to claim 1 is irradiated with an optical beam having a wavelength of 450 nm or shorter and thereby information is recorded thereon or reproduced therefrom, and a detection unit that detects light reflected from the optical information recording medium.