Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Hideo Maruyama

Yumiko Ohashi

Kazunari Taki

Riki Matsuda

Takeo Iwasaki

Yuji Shinkai

Kouji Inaishi

Chisato Yoshimura

Takuya Hamaguchi

An optical data recording medium of the present invention includes: a substrate; a reflective material layer formed of light-reflective material, the reflective material layer being provided over the substrate; and an optical data recording layer for optically recording data therein and for optically reproducing the data therefrom, the optical data recording layer being formed over the reflective material layer. The reflective material layer is patterned so that the light-reflective material may be partly removed therefrom for selectively allowing a light beam irradiated on the substrate to pass therethrough to reach the optical data recording layer.

Optical data recording medium

The invention relates to an optical microlens array producing method. The microlens array producing method according to the invention uses an intermediate material forming process for forming an intermediate material of photoresist on a flat sheet, the intermediate material having projections formed in the shape of a predetermined pattern; a resist master forming process of forming a resist master by heating the intermediate material to thereby smooth the surfaces of the projections; an inverted mold forming process for forming an inverted mold having a surface shape that is the inverse of the resist master; a clad portion forming process, for forming a clad portion having grooves equal in sectional shape to the inverted mold, using the inverted mold and also using a first light-transmitting material of a low refractive index; a process for forming microlenses by filling the concave portion of the clad portion with a second light-transmitting material which is higher in refractive index than the first light-transmitting material microlens with index than the first or the second light-transmitting.

Method for producing a microlens array

The present invention relates to a manufacturing method for an orifice plate to be used for an ink jet printer or the like. First, a master having a predetermined pattern firmly provided on a substrate is prepared. An electroformed film is then formed on the master by an electroforming method. Finally, the electroformed film is separated from the substrate. In this case, the mask pattern is firmly provided on the substrate, and a mechanical strength of the mask pattern itself is large. Furthermore, the mask pattern is insoluble to an alkali aqueous solution. Thus, the master can be reused, and it can be strongly washed. Accordingly, the master has a durability to repeated usage, thereby contributing to an improvement in the quality of the orifice plate to be manufactured and a reduction in the manufacturing cost.

Manufacturing method for orifice plate

The invention relates to an optical waveguide array producing method. The optical waveguide array producing method according to the invention uses an intermediate material forming process for forming an intermediate material of photoresist on a flat sheet, the intermediate material having projections formed in the shape of a predetermined pattern; a resist master forming process of forming a resist master by heating the intermediate material to thereby smooth the surfaces of the projections; an inverted mold forming process for forming an inverted mold having a surface shape that is the inverse of the resist master; a clad portion forming process, for forming a clad portion having grooves equal in sectional shape to the inverted mold, using the inverted mold and also using a first light-transmitting material of a low refractive index; a process for forming core portions by filling the grooves of the clad portion with a second light-transmitting material which is higher in refractive index than the first light-transmitting material; and a process of covering the core portions with a third light-transmitting material lower in refractive index than the first or the second light-transmitting material.

Method for producing an optical waveguide array using a resist master

An optical data storage medium having a continuous tracking guide strip defining a single spiral recording track, or concentric tracking guide rings defining concentric recording tracks. The tracking guide strip or rings provide(s) tracking servo information which is optically read to position an optical head relative to the data storage medium, for centering a read/write beam on a desired recording track. The tracking guide strip or rings is/are formed of a material which has a higher light absorption coefficient than that of a material of the recording track(s). A method for fabricating the storage medium, and a tracking system for the storage medium are also disclosed.

Optical data storage medium having embedded tracking information

An optical data storage medium having a substrate, and an optical storage layer with a recording track or tracks for storing information to be read by a light beam. An interference layer is formed on the substrate, such that a tracking reflector defining the recording track or tracks is formed on the interference layer. A flattening layer is formed on the interference layer such that the flattening layer covers the tracking reflector and provides a flat surface on which the storage layer is formed. Each of the interference and flattening layers has a thickness substantially equal to 80 /8 or (.lambda./8+m.multidot..lambda./2), where .lambda. represents a wavelength of the light beam as measured while the light beam is travelling through the interference and flattening layers, and m represents a natural number.

Optical data storage medium having interference and flattening layers

An optical recording disk comprises a base plate, a flat layer, an optical recording layer and a protection layer which are laminated in this order. The flat layer has a flat surface which contacts with the optical recording layer to thereby enable the optical recording layer to have a uniform thickness over the layer and make the surface of the optical recording layer flat. At least one of the other layers constituting the above optical disk other than the optical recording layer comprises a material capable of recording and reproducing information, such as a magnetooptic material, a phase-change material, an organic pigment and a pit-formable material in which the information is recordable.

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Kuwana, Japan

Hideo Maruyama