Manufacturing CD-R media

The optical discs which can quickly record, retrieve and read enormous numbers of documents, images, music are becoming new leading products in mass media industry now. Especially CDR discs which are following the booming CD-ROM sales are becoming more and more popular. CD-R discs are compatible to CD-ROM discs, and they can record information and preserve it for long periods without changing. Because organic-dye-laid discs are relatively low cost, the application of CD-R is extending to consumer areas. In addition, we believe that in the near future CD-R duplication will replace the standard injection molding and substrate finishing process for small volume CD-ROM distribution. There are about 50 kinds of recording materials that can be used for CD-R media as summarized in Figure 1. This paper concentrates on a recording media containing a cyanine dye, because of the following features: • compatible to Orange Book Standards and available licenses through Philips (including Taiyo Yuden), • recycling of dyes can be applied and thus low costs can be achieved.