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The possibility of an areal density over 50 Gbit/in2 was examined in near-field phase-change recording. The disk structure was optimized to maximize readout signals under the land-and-groove recording condition at a tracking pitch of 160 nm. We also evaluated the signal crosstalk from adjacent tracks. Eye diagrams of 50.4 Gbit/in2 areal density were demonstrated using 1.5 NA optics and a GaN laser diode. The track pitch and linear bit density are 160 nm and 80 nm/bit, respectively. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrograph of recorded amorphous marks at an areal density of 50.4 Gbit/in2 is also presented.

Optical disk readout signals with a solid immersion lens (SIL) and the land-groove recording technique are calculated by use of a simplified vector-diffraction theory. In this method the full vector-diffraction theory is applied to calculate the diffracted light from the initial state of the disk, and the light scattered from the recorded marks is regarded as a perturbation. Using this method, we confirmed that the land-groove recording technique is effective as a means of cross-talk reduction even when the numerical aperture is more than 1. However, the top surface of the disk under the SIL must be flat, or the readout signal from marks recorded on a groove decays when the optical depth of the groove is greater than lambda/8.

We propose multi-layer near-field recording with using inner focus mode. The restricted conditions for multi-layer near-field recording are discussed from the viewpoint of both media structure and optical setup. One solution is presented for dual layer recording with a numerical aperture (NA) of 1.5 and a wavelength of 405 nm as a light source of GaN laser diode.In the proposed layer structure, a Nb2O5 material has been adopted as the intermediate layer because of its high refractive index, n = 2.4, in order to prevent the decrease of beam propagation that corresponds to NA>1. Almost the same signal characteristics can be obtained from both recording layers at the air gap of 40 nm. The adjustment of focusing position and the compensation of spherical aberrations have been implemented by the combination of an expander lens unit and a liquid crystal (LC) panel in the optical setup.

Recently, solid immersion lenses (SILs) have yielded a great interest in near-field optical data storage. However, convincing data on areal recording density have yet to be reported. The difficulty is attributed to the fact that an air-bearing slider needs to be kept optically contacted and also that a tiny SIL is vulnerable to aberrations caused by an air gap between a lens and a disk. The air-bearing system cannot easily achieve the condition above because its linear velocity changes the air gap. We have developed a new SIL device mounted on an actuator, which allows the air gap to be varied arbitrarily and enables optical contact independent of disk rotation. The obtained eyepattern of (l,7)-coded data on a phase-change disk demonstrates near-field recording over 1.2- numerical-aperture (NA).

Near-field optical recording was implemented on a pre-grooved phase-change disk by using a φ1 mm superhemispherical solid immersion lens (SIL) of 1.5 numerical aperture. The SIL unit was mounted on a two-axis actuator for enabling both gap-height and tracking controls. The gap height was precisely adjusted with a capacitance formed between the SIL and disk materials. Groove structures were fabricated on a glass substrate by a reactive-ion-etching (RIE) process and flattened with spin-on-glass (SOG) coating for obtaining reliable push-pull tracking error signals. The phase-change layer stack was optimized by a vector diffraction analysis in order to maximize evanescent coupling at the gap height as small as 50 nm. A bit density of 80 nm was demonstrated on the land of a pre-grooved disk at the wavelength of 407 nm.

Near-field recording for the disc mastering process was realized. A high-numerical-aperture (NA) objective (NA=1.4) composed of an aspherical lens and a solid immersion lens (SIL) was driven by an air pad and a piezotransducer. The gap between the SIL and the glassmaster was controlled by a new gap detection method using the totally internally reflected beam from the bottom surface of the SIL. In the near-field operation, the gap was maintained at 100 nm with a residual error of ±4.8 nm. In the DC exposure with a laser beam of 413 nm, a narrower groove structure could be formed almost at the inverse rate of NA expansion. In the read-only memory (ROM) exposure with an eight to fourteen modulation plus (EFM+) signal, signal bottom jitter values of 9.8% for an 18 GB disc and 10.9% for a 20 GB disc were obtained.

A bit density of 125 nm was demonstrated through near-field phase-change (PC) optical recording at the wavelength of 657 nm by using a supersphere solid immersion lens (SIL). The lens unit consists of a standard objective and a φ2.5 mm SIL. Since this lens size still prevents the unit from being mounted on an air-bearing slider, we developed a one-axis positioning actuator and an active capacitance servo for precise gap control to thoroughly investigate near-field recording. An electrode was fabricated on the bottom of the SIL, and a capacitor was formed facing a disk material. This setup realized a stable air gap below 50 nm, and a new method of simulating modulation transfer function (MTF) optimized the PC disk structure at this gap height. Obtained jitter of 8.8% and a clear eye-pattern prove that our system successfully attained the designed numerical-aperture (NA) of 1.36.