Patent ID: 8133566

Claim:
An information recording medium (excluding one comprising a noble metal oxide layer of which main component is an oxide of noble metal) whereon information can be recorded by applying light or electrical energy, which comprises at least a recording layer which can undergo phase change (excluding the recording layer comprising Au, Ga, In, Zr or Mg), wherein: the recording layer comprises at least one element selected from among Si and C, and Sb in total proportion of 85 atomic % or more, the recording layer does not comprise Te when the recording layer comprises Si, and the recording layer comprises a material represented by a formula (1): Sb 100-a1 M1(atomic %) (1) wherein M1 represents at least one element selected from among Si and C, and a1 is a proportion in terms of atomic % and satisfies a relationship of 0<a1≦50.