Seiko Instruments Inc

Other

Seiko Instruments R & D Center Inc.

Susumu Ichihara

Takashi Niwa

Kenji Kato

Yasuyuki Mitsuoka

Nobuyuki Kasama

Manabu Oumi

Norio Chiba

Yoko Shinohara

Hidetaka Maeda

Koichiro Jujo

Hiroyuki Hoshina

Kazuo Sato

Hiroshi Takahashi

Masataka Shinogi

Minoru Sudo

Kunio Nakajima

Yoshiharu Shirakawabe

Nobuhiro Shimizu

Norihiro Dejima

Michel Despont

Mitsuhiro Shikita

Terunao Hirota

Toshifumi Ohkubo

Kiyoshi Itao

Hiroshi Hosaka

Yasayuki Mitsuoka

A near-field optical head for recording and reading-out information on and from a recording medium by utilizing near-field light produced from a very small aperture. The very small aperture is formed at an apex of a taper formed by an optical propagation member having a tip pointed toward a recording medium. A light introducing part is connected directly to the optical propagation member for propagating light along an optical path extending in a direction generally parallel to the recording medium. The optical propagation member is formed of a uniform dielectric layer in the light introducing part and inside of the taper. A light reflection layer reflects light propagated through the light introducing part toward the very small aperture.

Near-field optical head having tapered hole for guiding light beam

A near-field optical head has a planar substrate having a first surface, a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface, and an inverted pyramidal hole extending through the first and second surfaces. The inverted pyramidal hole has at least one fine aperture formed at an apex thereof and disposed in the first surface and having at least one curved slant surface. An optical waveguide extends into the inverted pyramidal hole of the planar substrate for propagating light along an optical path. A mirror is disposed in the optical waveguide for bending in the direction of the fine aperture the optical path of the light propagated through the optical waveguide.

To provide an electroforming mold for manufacturing a multi-step structure minute component and a method for manufacturing the same, for which height control is possible and manufacturing process does not become complicated. On the upper face of a film of an electroconductive layerformed on the upper face of a substrate, a resistis formed in which a first soluble portionand a first insoluble portionare formed. Next, a light-absorbing bodyis formed on the upper face of the resist, exposure and development are carried out, in addition a film of an electroconductive layeris formed on the upper face thereof, and a light-absorbing bodyand an electroconductive layeron the upper face of the light-absorbing bodyare removed by liftoff. Further, a resist is formed on the upper face thereof, in which a second soluble portionand a second insoluble portionare formed. Next, the first resist and the second resist are developed to remove the first soluble portionand the second soluble portion, thereby giving an electroforming moldhaving an electroconductive layer on the basal part of respective steps.

Electroforming mold and method for manufacturing the same, and method for manufacturing electroformed component

An electroforming mold has a first negative type photosensitive material formed on an electroconductive substrate, and a first through-hole extends through the firs photosensitive material to expose the electroconductive substrate. An electroconductive layer formed on an upper face of the first photosensitive material surrounds the first through-hole. A second negative type photosensitive material formed on an upper face of the electroconductive layer has a second through-hole that overlies and exposes both the first through-hole and a peripheral part of the electroconductive layer that surrounds the first through-hole. Because the electroconductive substrate and the electroconductive layer are separated from one another, the first and second through-holes precipitate an electroformed object independently during use of the electroforming mold resulting in a uniform electroformed object.

A near-field optical head has a planar substrate having a first surface, a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface, and an inverted conical or pyramidal hole extending through the first and second surfaces. The conical or pyramidal hole has at least one fine aperture formed at an apex thereof and is disposed on the first surface of the planar substrate. An optical waveguide is disposed on the second surface of the planar substrate for propagating light. A light reflection film is disposed in the optical waveguide for reflecting in the direction of the fine aperture light propagated through the optical waveguide.

An optical microcantilever for a scanning near field microscope comprises a support section, a cantilever-shaped optical waveguide, and a light blocking wall. The optical waveguide has a free end, a fixed end fixed to the support section and terminating in a light input/output end, and a tip formed at a side of the free end of the cantilever and having a microscopic aperture at an end thereof. The light blocking wall blocks the transmission of light scattered from a region of the light input/output end in the direction of the tip of the optical waveguide.

Optical microcantilever

A near-field optical head has a main surface confronting a recording medium during use of the near-field optical head. A sharpened tip is disposed on the main surface and has an optical aperture at a front end thereof. An opaque film covers the sharpened tip and has a plastically deformed portion in the vicinity of the optical aperture. The front end of the sharpened tip projects from the plastically deformed portion of the opaque film. At least one stopper is disposed in the vicinity of the sharpened tip and has a height substantially equal to a height of the sharpened tip. At least one air-bearing surface is disposed on the main surface.

Method for forming optical aperture, near-field optical head, method for fabricating near-field optical head, and information recording/reading apparatus

An optical microcantilever capable of reducing loss when propagating light. An optical microcantilevercomprises a support, an optical waveguide, a light-blocking film, a reflecting film, a pointed tip, a microscopic apertureformed at the end of the tip, and a mirrorfor reflecting propagating light H propagated from a light input/output endof the optical waveguidetowards the microscopic aperture

Optical microcantilever, manufacturing method thereof, and optical microcantilever holder

An optical microcantilever for a scanning near field microscope has an optical waveguide for propagating light. The optical waveguide has a longitudinal axis, a light input/output end, a free end opposite to the light input/output end, and a tip formed at the free end of the cantilever and having a microscopic aperture at an end thereof. A support section has a first portion supporting the optical waveguide, a second portion and a third portion. The second portion has an optical element guide channel formed in the support section for supporting an optical element acting on light entering the optical waveguide or on light exiting from the optical waveguide and for determining a position of the optical element. The third portion is disposed between the first portion and the second portion and has a surface disposed at an angle of inclination relative to the longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide. The light input/output end of the optical waveguide projects above the third portion for reducing a coupling loss between the optical element and the optical waveguide.

A battery pack has a secondary battery connected to a plus side terminal. A protective circuit protects the secondary battery from overcharge and over-discharge. A calculation circuit operates with a minus side terminal as a reference for calculating a remaining capacity of the secondary battery. An N-channel MOS transistor is connected between the secondary battery and the minus terminal for controlling charge and discharge of the secondary battery in accordance with a signal from the protective circuit. A level shifter circuit is connected between the calculation circuit and a communication terminal.

Battery pack with a remaining battery power calculating function

In a method of producing an optical aperture, there is provided an object having a substrate, at least one conical- or pyramidal-shaped tip disposed on the substrate, at least one stopper disposed on the substrate in the vicinity of the tip and having a height substantially equal to a height of the tip, and an opaque film disposed at least on the tip. A pressing body is disposed relative to the object so that a surface of the pressing body is disposed over the tip and at least a portion of the stopper. The pressing body is then displaced to bring the surface of the pressing body into contact with the object so that a force component is directed to a front end of the tip to form an optical aperture at the front end of the tip.

An apparatus for forming an optical aperture comprises an object having a tip with a pointed end. Stoppers are disposed adjacent the tip. A pressing body applies a loading force to press the pointed end of the tip and at least a part of each of the stoppers to form an optical aperture at the pointed end of the tip. A load controller controls the loading force applied by the loader.

Apparatus for forming optical aperture

An optical aperture is fabricated by providing a pressing body and object having a substrate, at least one conical- or pyramidal-shaped tip disposed on the substrate, at least one stopper disposed on the substrate at a vicinity of the tip, and an optical shielding film disposed on at least a portion of each of the stopper and the tip. A surface of the pressing body is then disposed in confronting relation to the object. The pressing body is then displaced to bring the surface of the pressing body in contact with the object so that a force component is directed to a front end of the tip to form an optical aperture at the front end of the tip.

Method of fabricating optical aperture and method of fabricating probe for near field light device

There is disclosed an optical switch consisting of a support substrate, a movable raw optical fiber, a fixed raw optical fiber, a magnetic member for the movable raw optical fiber, and a leaf spring. The fibers are disposed in a V-shaped groove formed in the substrate. The magnetic member is actuated by an electromagnet disposed above the substrate. The leaf spring pushes the movable raw optical fiber into the V-shaped groove. The structure of the switch is relatively simple. Since the movable raw optical fiber is pushed using the leaf spring, the switch is less affected by the assembly accuracy than conventional. It is easy to make adjustments during assembly. Consequently, high-performance, low-cost, optical switch that can be mass-produced can be offered.

Optical switch manufacturing method thereof

An optical microcantilever has an optical waveguide for propagating light. The optical waveguide has a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, and a tip portion formed on the first side and at a free end of the optical waveguide. The tip portion has a microscopic aperture. A light blocking film is disposed on the first side of the optical waveguide. A reflecting film is disposed on the second side of the optical waveguide. A reflecting member forms part of the reflecting film and is disposed at the free end of the optical waveguide. The reflecting member has a generally planar surface for reflecting light propagated by the optical waveguide and for guiding the reflected light towards the microscopic aperture to generate near-field light at the microscopic aperture.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Susumu Ichihara