National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Other

Tdk Corporation

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Nitto-Denko Corporation

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Takashi Nakano

Junji Tominaga

Nobufumi Atoda

Takashi Kikukawa

Akira Sato

Takayuki Shima

Masashi Kuwahara

Kazuma Kurihara

Takuji Hatano

Narutoshi Fukuzawa

In-oh Hwang

Tatsuhiro Kobayashi

Manami Kuiseko

Ichiro Suehiro

Joo-ho Kim

Kazuya Fujioka

Motoichi Ohtsu

Motonobu Kourogi

Hisako Fukuda

An etching resist has a first heat-generating layer, a second heat-generating layer, and a metal compound layer including a metallic oxynitride layer containing a metallic oxynitride. The first heat-generating layer, the metallic oxynitride layer, and the second heat-generating layer are directly or indirectly laminated such that the metallic oxynitride layer is positioned between the first heat-generating layer and the second heat-generating layer.

Etching resist

According to the present invention, whether recoding pits are larger or smaller than diffraction limit is determined. Then, a signal process suitable for processing of the recording pits larger than the diffraction limit and a signal process suitable for processing of the recording pits smaller than diffraction limit are divided to divisionally perform equalizer processing. The respective signals subjected to the divisional processing are synthesized to obtain a processed output signal. A reproduction signal with reduced impact of intersymbol interference is thus obtained.

Method and apparatus for processing optical disc signal

An optical recording medium includes a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a recording layer, a second dielectric layer, a super-resolution layer, and a third dielectric layer, which are provided in that order. The super-resolution layer is formed of a material configured such that voids are generated when the material is irradiated with DC light at a predetermined irradiation power for 1 to 300 seconds. Therefore, super-resolution reproduction can be made such that the irradiation power of a readout laser beam does not depend on the size of a recording mark.

Optical recording medium and method for reproducing information from optical recording medium

In an optical information medium comprising an information recording layer having a mark train of marks and spaces, the mark train is read out by scanning it with a laser beam and detecting a light intensity change pattern of reflected laser beam. Provided that the reflected laser beam includes polarized light components which define an angle &#x3b8; with the mark train, a polarized light component giving &#x3b8;=0 is xcomponent, and a polarized light component giving &#x3b8;=90&#xb0; is ycomponent, the mark train is read out utilizing at least a light intensity change of xcomponent. When pits or recorded marks having a size approximate to or below the resolution limit are read out, the present invention allows high read outputs to be obtained and prevents omission of readout signals.

Readout method and apparatus for optical information medium

An apparatus for reproducing information stored in an optical recording medium which comprises marks or pits which are arranged at a pitch less than &#x3bb;/2NA, wherein &#x3bb; is a wavelength of light used for reproduction and NA is an numerical aperture of an objective lens. The apparatus generally comprises a laser diode, a polarization beam splitter, an objective lens, beam splitters, a low-frequency light detecting system with a photodetector, a high-frequency light detecting system with a photodetector, and a signal processing circuit for combining detection signals from the photodetectors. In the high-frequency light detecting system, before a convergent lens, a shielding band is provided so as to shield the middle of a bundle of rays of reproduction light.

Method and apparatus for reproducing an optical signal

Disclosed is a photolithographic pattern-forming material capable of giving a fine patterned resist layer rapidly and being used repeatedly. The pattern-forming material is a multilayered body comprising a substrate and a photoresist layer thereon which is overlaid with a three-layered composite film for near-field light generation consisting of an intermediate layer of a non-linear optical material such as antimony sandwiched between two dielectric layers. When irradiated with active rays focused on the optically nonlinear layer, a fine optical window or light scattering point is formed therein where a near-field light is generated to pattern-wise expose the photoresist layer.

Photolithographic pattern-forming material and method for formation of fine pattern therwith

Provided is an optical probe array head device in which a single optical detector or a plurality of optical detectors are disposed to each of the optical probes constituting an optical probe array having a plurality of apertures. The optical detectors are arranged to surround the aperture so as to be able to efficiently detect scattering of a feeble near-field light enabling similtaneous detection of a multipilicity of optical signals. In this device, an optical lens system necessary for optical detection can be omitted by integrating the optical probe array and the optical detectors. In addition, the output signals from the optical detectors can be utilized for conducting position control of the optical probe array head.

Optical probe array head device

A near field light emitting element has a first film made of e.g. Al, an intermediate film made of e.g. SiN and a second film made of e.g. Al on an emergent surface of a solid immersion lens made of a high-refractive material. A first hole is made in the first film, and a second hole is made in the second film. The second hole is smaller in area than the first hole.

Near field light emitting element and optical head

Disclosed is an improved optical near-field probe for optical near-field microscopy or optical near-field recording having an effective aperture diameter variable to comply with different applications. The improvement comprises attaching, to the aperture end opening of an optical fiber-based probe, a thin film made from a substance which is opaque but capable of being rendered transparent, such as antimony or photo-chromic compounds, by irradiation with light so that the center area only of the end opening becomes transparent and transmits the laser beam to serve as an effective aperture of a diameter variable depending on the intensity of the light.

Variable-aperture optical near-field probe

Disclosed is a novel optical recording medium which is a multi-layered body comprising: (a) a substrate disk of a transparent material; (b) a first protective layer formed on one surface of the substrate disk; (c) a recording layer formed on the first protective layer, which is made from a material capable of causing a change in the optical properties in response to light or heat; (d) a second protective layer formed on the recording layer; (e) a transmissivity-controlling layer formed on the second protective layer, which is made from a material capable of reversibly and continuously causing a change in the optical properties in response to light or heat at a speed higher than the speed of changes in the recording layer; and, optionally, (f) a third protective layer formed on the transmissivity-controlling layer. Method and apparatus for recording of signals and reproduction of recorded signals by using the above defined optical recording medium are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Tsukuba, Japan

Takashi Nakano