Abstract

The design constraints on the SlideStore optical system emanate from three primary performance requirements: the bit packing density: the read/ write data rate: and the read/write error rate. The performance goals were: 500-Moyte storage/5-in. square slide; a read/write data rate of 1.25 MHz; a corrected read/write error rate of 10⁻¹² These parameters dictated a recording format in which the laser beam is scanned across a narrow track to write and or read discrete 1-μm diam holes on 1-μm centers in a thin metallic film. A scan period of 128 μsec with a scan line containing 118 bits was selected. The beam is on/off modulated to produce holes with a location tolerance of ±0.1 μm. During reading and writing, the presence or absence of a hole formation must be detected by sensing a change in reflectivity of the media surface.

© 1983 Optical Society of America