Abstract

An optical memory disk head for ultra-high data transfer rate using parallel two dimensional pyramidal prism probe (ppp) and VCSEL array has been attracting much interest for the data storage in near future. Betzig and coworkers¹⁾ demonstrated an optical recording possibility by optical scanning microscope (NSOM) and suggested 100GB data storage capacity. Since the total efficiency of the near-field fiber probe used is however too low to write the bits on the surface of the optical disk with higher bit rate than several kbps, realizing 2D probes with higher throughput efficiency using semiconductor pyramidal prism probes (PPP) conjunction with proposed a terabyte optical memory system using a VCSEL array²⁾ is very important. For realizing high density/speed near-field optical recording, new near-field probes using GaP (n=3.3 @ λ =650nm) protruded array and also Si probe array³⁾ have been successfully fabricated with high throughput efficiency.

© 2001 IEEE