dichromate holography and the blue diode laser February 25 2003 at 7:48 AM
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i was checking out the site for the red laser and saw the blue/green diode laser, wow have they come a long way. now we will wait and soon the price will drop!i would love to create some dichromate holograms using this laser. has anyone had any testing in this area??
what is the end use fot this laser? cd burner?
It seems there is a belief that CD's use 'red' lasers and DVD's use 'blue'. Actually DVD use a 'bluer' laser than CD's but they're both red. DVD readout wavelength is 640+/-15 nm and CD's use around 720, I believe. However, the new generation of DVD's used for readout in HDTV will be using blue lasers.
I'd love to try out these blue lasers for DCG. Any source?
Hitachi, Ltd.
LG Electronics Inc.
Matsu****a Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Pioneer Corporation
Royal Philips Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Sharp Corporation
Sony Corporation
Thomson Multimedia
Large Capacity Optical Disc Video Recording Format "Blu-ray Disc" Established
The Blu-ray Disc using blue-violet laser achieves over 2-hour digital high definition video recording on a 12cm diameter CD/DVD size phase change optical disc
Tokyo Japan, February 19, 2002: Nine leading companies today announced that they have jointly established the basic specifications for a next generation large capacity optical disc video recording format called "Blu-ray Disc". The Blu-ray Disc enables the recording, rewriting and play back of up to 27 gigabytes (GB) of data on a single sided single layer 12cm CD/DVD size disc using a 405nm blue-violet laser. The companies that established the basic specifications for the Blu-ray Disc are: Hitachi Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Matsu****a Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Pioneer Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, and Thomson Multimedia.
In addition to actively promoting the new format throughout the Industry, the nine companies listed above plan to begin licensing the new format as soon as specifications are completed. Licensing is expected to start around spring 2002.
By employing a short wavelength blue violet laser, the Blu-ray Disc successfully minimizes its beam spot size by making the numerical aperture (NA) on a field lens that converges the laser 0.85. In addition, by using a disc structure with a 0.1mm optical transmittance protection layer, the Blu-ray Disc diminishes aberration caused by disc tilt. This also allows for disc better readout and an increased recording density. The Blu-ray Disc's tracking pitch is reduced to 0.32um, almost half of that of a regular DVD, achieving up to 27 GB high-density recording on a single sided disc.
Because the Blu-ray Disc utilizes global standard "MPEG-2 Transport Stream" compression technology highly compatible with digital broadcasting for video recording, a wide range of content can be recorded. It is possible for the Blu-ray Disc to record digital high definition broadcasting while maintaining high quality and other data simultaneously with video data if they are received together. In addition, the adoption of a unique ID written on a Blu-ray Disc realizes high quality copyright protection functions.
The Blu-ray Disc is a technology platform that can store sound and video while maintaining high quality and also access the stored content in an easy-to-use way. This will be important in the coming broadband era as content distribution becomes increasingly diversified. The nine companies involved in the announcement will respectively develop products that take full advantage of Blu-ray Disc's large capacity and high-speed data transfer rate. They are also aiming to further enhance the appeal of the new format through developing a larger capacity, such as over 30GB on a single sided single layer disc and over 50GB on a single sided double layer disc. Adoption of the Blu-ray Disc in a variety of applications including PC data storage and high definition video software is being considered.
"Blu-ray Disc" Key Characteristics
1) Large recording capacity up to 27GB:
By adopting a 405nm blue-violet semiconductor laser, with a 0.85NA field lens and a 0.1mm optical transmittance protection disc layer structure, it can record up to 27GB video data on a single sided 12cm phase change disc. It can record over 2 hours of digital high definition video and more than 13 hours of standard TV broadcasting (VHS/standard definition picture quality, 3.8Mbps)
2) High-speed data transfer rate 36Mbps:
It is possible for the Blu-ray Disc to record digital high definition broadcasts or high definition images from a digital video camera while maintaining the original picture quality. In addition, by fully utilizing an optical disc's random accessing functions, it is possible to easily edit video data captured on a video camera or play back pre-recorded video on the disc while simultaneously recording images being broadcast on TV.
3) Easy to use disc cartridge:
An easy to use optical disc cartridge protects the optical disc's recording and playback phase from dust and fingerprints.
Main Specifications
Recording capacity: 23.3GB/25GB/27GB
Laser wavelength: 405nm (blue-violet laser)
Lens numerical aperture (NA): 0.85
Data transfer rate: 36Mbps
Disc diameter: 120mm
Disc thickness: 1.2mm (optical transmittance
protection layer: 0.1mm)
Recording format: Phase change recording
Tracking format: Groove recording
Tracking pitch: 0.32um
Shortest pit length: 0.160/0.149/0.138um
Recording phase density: 16.8/18.0/19.5Gbit/inch2
Video recording format: MPEG2 video
Audio recording format: AC3, MPEG1, Layer2, etc.
Video and audio multiplexing format: MPEG2 transport stream
Cartridge dimension: Approximately 129 x 131 x 7mm
Contacts for inquiries regarding Blu-ray Disc licensing, etc.:
Matsu****a Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Isamu Takai, General Manager of Storage Device Business Development Office
Tel: +81-6-6905-4195
Email: takai@dvd.mei.co.jp
Royal Philips Electronics
Chris Buma, Program Manager A/V, Philips Consumer Electronics
Tel: 31-40-273-6341
Email: Chris.Buma@philips.com
Sony Corporation
Fumihiko Moriya, General Manager of Licensing Department
Tel: +81-3-5448-2017
Email: info-Blu-ray_Disc@sony.co.jp
HD-DVD Update: The Blu-Ray group, led by Sony, is one step closer to launch. As you know, there is a potential war brewing over high-definition DVD. Blu-Ray has long been considered the frontrunner and now the facts are backing that up. On Monday licensing began to allow hardware manufacturers and media makers to utilize the technology.
According to an article from PC World, "Player makers will have to pay $20,000 to license Blu-ray while the content-protection system license will carry a $120,000 annual fee and additional charge of $0.10 per player.
Media makers will pay $8,000 annually and $0.02 per disc for the copy protection system, which is licensed from developers Matsu****a Electric Industrial (Panasonic), Sony, and Koninklijke Philips Electronics."
Development from many of the key hardware manufacturers has been underway since June of last year. Now, more companies will be able to jump onboard. The Blu-Ray group is no doubt trying to capture the market by being the first out. That being said, there is still one major obstacle -- software support. Sure, Blu-Ray is a recordable format that will quickly kill D-VHS, but there is no studio support (apart from Sony's Columbia/Tristar). As long as the selection of HD-DVD's is limited, the format will not fully take hold. Industry insiders are predicting we may begin to see HD-DVD players in stores as early as the end of this year. Over the next few months, this topic is sure to heat up.
Licensing is set to begin today (2/17/03) but may be delayed due to today's blizzard.
By Richard Shim
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
February 13, 2003, 11:16 AM PT
Manufacturers looking for a higher-capacity recordable DVD format will want to mark Feb. 17 on their calendars.
The nine companies promoting Blu-ray Disc technology--a next-generation recordable DVD format using blue-violet lasers--announced Thursday that licensing will begin Feb. 17. Blu-ray Disc technology allows for 27GB storage capacities on a single-sided 12cm disc. DVDs hold 4.7GB of data. Hitachi, LG Electronics, Matsu****a Electric Industrial, Pioneer, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sharp, Sony and Thomson are known as the "Blu-ray Disc Founders" and have been pursuing a broad acceptance of the format.
Blu-ray technology uses a short-wavelength blue-violet laser instead of the red lasers in current optical drives to read data off discs. The higher-capacity Blu-ray discs will enable the recording of high-definition broadcasts, which offer better picture quality than the more broadly available TV broadcasts.
The licensing agreements, which are 10-year renewable contracts, will include the right to use the Blu-ray format and logo as well as the content protection specifications. Licenses for the format and logo will range from $20,000 to $60,000 depending on which products--discs, players or components--manufacturers want to develop. The same is true for the protection specifications, which range in price annually from $4,000 to $12,000.
Companies already have been developing products using Blu-ray technology. Philips has demonstrated a prototype miniature Blu-ray disc drive that uses a 3cm disc that can store up to 1GB of data. Typical CDs, measuring 12cm in diameter, can hold up to 650MB of data. The prototype drive is suitable for use in portable devices such as digital cameras, handhelds and cell phones. Philips has been working to shrink the drive.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Sony Chief Operating Officer Kunitake Ando said recordable DVD Blu-ray Disc products will likely appear this year, initially in Japan. Ando said the technology is ready, but some licensing issues still need to be worked out.
World's First Blue-Violet Laser Diode with a New Low-Noise Beam Structure
- Ideal light source for advanced DVD systems -
Tokyo, March 13, 2002--- SANYO has developed the world's first blue-violet laser diode with a new low-noise (stable) beam structure produced using ion implantation. The stable beam structure boasts lower noise, and current consumption achieving higher performance compared with conventional blue-violet laser diodes. This structure makes SANYO's blue-violet laser diode an optimum light source for large-capacity optical disc systems like advanced DVDs.
Main features
SANYO's original ion implantation technology has yielded the world's first blue-violet laser diode with a new stable beam structure that generates a low-noise beam.
The stable beam structure produces a vastly improved stable laser beam, which yields the low-noise, low-operating current characteristics that are required in a light source for next-generation large-capacity optical disc systems like advanced DVDs require.
The laser diode is easily mass produced because the stable beam structure reduces the number of fabrication steps while the top and bottom electrodes structure reduces chip size.
E Related patents: 25 (including those pending)
Development background
Laser diodes are key components in the field of optical data processing devices. SANYO's aggressive efforts in this area led to the mass production and sales of AlGaAs (aluminum-gallium-arsenide) infrared and AlGaInP (aluminum-gallium-indium-phosphide) red laser diodes widely used in measuring instruments and a variety of optical data processing devices like CD and DVD optical disc systems.
In recent years, the field of optical disc systems has seen the development of next-generation large-capacity optical disc systems like advanced DVDs that can record more than two hours of digital high-definition images. The blue-violet laser diode made of InGaN (indium-gallium-nitride) that is used as a light source for reading signals recorded on the optical discs was the key to developing these systems. Naturally demand for the laser diode is expected to rise sharply as more large-capacity optical disc systems become available and become more widely used.
In order to realize a blue-violet laser diode SANYO has developed original crystal and device fabrication technologies over the years. Now these fundamental technologies have yielded the world's first low-noise beam, blue-violet laser diode with a new stable beam structure that lowered noise and current consumption for higher performance. This development can make large-capacity optical disc systems like advanced DVDs practical.
The Microelectronics Research Center in the Research and Development Headquarters at SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. will be in charge of development, while the LED Division in the Electronic Device Business Headquarters at Tottori SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. will be handling production and sales.
Features of the new technology
The new stable beam structure made by ion implantation significantly improves laser beam stability and yields the low-noise, low-operating current characteristics that the optical disc system requires.
The laser diode is easily mass-produced because the newly developed stable beam structure reduces the number of fabrication steps while the top and bottom electrodes structure reduces chip size.
Other features
Fundamental traverse mode
The fundamental traverse mode generates a single stable beam which means the beam can be focused into a tiny spot using a simple optical system.
Package
The package is compact at just 5.6 mm in diameter.
Polarity
A positive (+) or negative (-) power supply can be selected.
Built-in photodiode for monitoring optical output
A photodiode is installed to monitor optical output.
Applications
The new laser diode is suitable for the next-generation large-capacity optical disc systems like advanced DVDs as well as for many types of measuring instruments.
Terminology
Blue-violet laser diode
This is the light source used to read signals (pits) on discs in next-generation large-capacity optical disc systems. There is no way the size of beams from the infrared and red laser diodes now used in CDs and DVDs can be reduced to the size of a pit recorded on these discs in conventional optical systems. The shorter wavelength of the blue-violet laser diode however allows the beam to be focused into a reduced spot, and therefore is the key to next-generation large-capacity optical disc systems.
Stable beam structure
The newly developed stable beam structure was produced using ion implantation. With mode control of the laser beam and current confinement, the implanted layer significantly improves laser beam stability and yields the low-noise, low-operating current characteristics that an optical disc system requires.
Ion implantation
This technology uses a strong electric field to force ionized atoms into a semiconductor. It is mainly used in Si LSI production for doping impurities in semiconductors. The amount and depth of the atoms implanted into the semiconductor can be precisely controlled with consistent reproducibility.
Fundamental traverse mode
This refers to a mode where distribution of light intensity in a laser beam forms a single peak.
Specifications
Case temperature: 25C
Light output 5mW
Threshold current 40mA
Operating current 45mA
Lasing wavelength 405nm
Beam divergence Parallel 8
Perpendicular 30
Inquiries and data material requests
Microelectronics Research Center (Supervisor: Sawada), Research and Development Headquarters, SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
1-18-13 Hashiridani, Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture 573-8534
Email : msawada@rd.sanyo.co.jp
Telephone : +81-72-841-1278
Facsimile : +81-72-841-1412
Nichia and Sony Announce Joint Development & Technology Alliance for
Production of Blue-Violet Laser Diodes
Pursuing the creation of the Blue-Violet Laser Diode Market
Nichia Corporation (hereafter "Nichia") and Sony Corporation (hereafter "Sony") have reached a basic agreement whereby they will jointly develop blue-violet laser diodes, in mass-production level, for use in optical disc recording and playback by spring 2003 following the joint development started in June 2002. In order to accelerate the joint development to meet market demands, the two companies also have reached a basic agreement to create an environment where they can share their respective technologies, patents and know-how.
Great demand is expected for blue-violet laser diodes as a key device in large-capacity optical disc recording and playback, to meet the needs of the broadband era. Sony and Nichia have independently pursued research and development in the area of blue-violet laser diodes, and each company now has a considerable number of intellectual properties, such as process patents and technological know-how. With this agreement, the two companies are enabled to produce excellent blue-violet laser diodes in a short period by integrating and utilizing their respective technologies.
Sony and Nichia have reached the agreement through recognition of the significance of meeting market demands by expediting the joint development of blue-violet laser diodes actively in the field of optical disc recording and playback. Specifically, the two companies will jointly develop 405 nm high output blue-violet laser diodes for "Blu-ray Disc", a next generation large-capacity optical disc video recording format, and they will enhance their technological level for mass production planned for spring 2003. Once mass production has begun, the two companies will respectively manufacture and sell the products resulting from joint development.
Sony and Nichia will now pursue the timely creation and expansion of the market for blue-violet laser diodes through active future cooperation.
You have to register to download them but the 30mw 405nm seems interesting. Too bad 405 is not very visible. It looks like the next generation in diodes. Perhaps we will be able to shift the replay to 460-470nm.
If you look at the data sheet they show a graph of a spectrum. It looks pretty bad. But it could be they choose the worst example to show. When they are affordable they would be worth a try.
I wonder if we could apply the same sorts of solutions to the blue ones as has been done with the red ones.
Is there any reason to think we couldn't similarily manipulate these new generation violet-blue diodes by careful control of temperature and injection current??
If so, and when the manufacturing ramps up to meet the demand, we just may be able to afford to try colour holography in our basements. Ah, what a dream come true that would be!