An inorganic resist material is provided, which is an incomplete oxide of
a phase-change material. The oxygen content in the inorganic resist
material is lower than the stoichiometric oxygen content of a complete
oxide of the phase-change material, and a general formula of the
inorganic resist material is A.sub.1-xO.sub.x, in which A represents the
phase-change material, and x is between 5 at. % and 65 at. %. The
inorganic resist material can be used to form line patterns or recording
pits with size smaller than the exposure light spot by using the laser of
conventional lithography process as an exposure source.