Optical memory with 10 Gbps data rate using 2-D VCSEL array

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. E. Betzig et al. (1992) demonstrated an optical recording possibility by optical scanning microscope (NSOM) and suggested 100 GB 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 PPP in conjunction with a proposed terabyte optical memory system using a VCSEL array is very important. For realizing high density/speed near-field optical recording, new near-field probes using GaP (n = 3.3 @ /spl lambda/ = 650 nm) protruded array and also Si probe array have been successfully fabricated with high throughput efficiency.