JP2000285499A - Film-shaped recording head and proximity recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a proximity recording device equipped with a film-shaped recording head which can be easily constituted at low costs for simultaneously recording the same information at plural parts. SOLUTION: This proximity recording device is constituted of a recording material 1, a film-shaped recording head 2 equipped with plural refractivity changing parts constituted of projecting parts or recessed parts in a nano meter size, and a light source 3. At the time of recording the same information such as images or characters at plural parts on a recording material 1, lights from the light source 3 is modulated according to the information, and the same information can be simultaneously recorded at the positions of those projecting parts or the recessed parts of the film-shaped recording head 2 with lights leaking from the projecting parts or recessed parts to the recording material 1 side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a film-shaped recording head for performing fine optical recording of a few nm, and a near-field recording apparatus provided with the film-shaped recording head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, near-field recording for performing fine optical recording of several nanometers (hereinafter, referred to as "nm") has attracted attention as a method for achieving a higher density of an optical disk device. For example, the tip of an optical fiber is processed into a cone,
Optical recording is performed using a probe in which a region other than the region at the tip is covered with a metal coating.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a sharpened portion of a conventional aperture probe. By forming a light-shielding coating layer of metal or the like except for the tip of the sharpened portion, the tip of the sharpened portion is made to be nano-sized. It is a probe (aperture probe) having an aperture of a meter size. This aperture probe is constituted by an optical fiber 13 having a core 11 and a glad 12 provided around the core 11, and sharpens a core protruding from a base end where the glad terminates at one end of the optical fiber. This is an optical fiber probe having a sharpened portion formed by: A metal layer 14 is formed on the surface of the sharp portion, and an opening having a size of several tens of nanometers is formed at the tip of the sharp portion by etching the metal layer 14. With this aperture probe having an aperture of nanometer size, near-field optical recording of an optical disk or the like can be performed with a resolution exceeding the wavelength of light.

However, this fiber probe has a problem that it is extremely difficult to manufacture. The above conventional fiber probe sharpens the optical fiber with hydrofluoric acid and a buffered etchant of ammonium iodide,
A metal is vapor-deposited on the sharp part, and finally by a method such as etching
It has been manufactured by a process of forming minute openings in a metal film. However, in the probe sharpening process by etching, for example, the tip angle and tip shape change due to a slight difference in manufacturing conditions, so that there is a problem in reproducibility and not suitable for mass production.

Another problem in performing near-field recording using a fiber probe is that since the fiber probe is used, it is necessary to control the distance between the substrate and the probe very precisely. For example, optical information is recorded. When the disk is rotated at a high speed, there is a problem that the fluctuation of the distance between the substrate and the probe due to the eccentricity of the disk cannot be controlled.
Furthermore, when optical recording is performed simultaneously using a plurality of fiber probes to increase the recording speed, it is necessary to provide a plurality of fiber probes of the same shape at the same position, which increases the cost and increases control and stability. It is difficult to maintain the accuracy.

In recent years, instead of using a plurality of fiber probes, as a method for improving the recording speed, a near-field recording head using light passing through a minute hole has been proposed. This recording head is formed in a plate in a tapered shape and provided with a plurality of microholes having a tip of several tens of nanometers. Light emitted from the end having a large diameter of the tapered portion passes through the microholes, thereby simultaneously A plurality of recordings become possible, and high-speed recording is achieved. With this recording head,
Recording can be performed much faster than when a single head such as a fiber probe is used. In addition, since the micro holes are arranged at the same position, that is, each micro hole is arranged at the same interval as the recording material, more stable accuracy than when simultaneous recording is performed using a plurality of fiber probes. Can be recorded.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of a conventional plate-like near-field recording head. The near-field recording head includes a flat plate 15 and a tapered minute hole 16 provided in the flat plate 15 at a predetermined interval. The tapered tip of the minute hole 16 is several tens nm.
The optical recording can be performed on the recording material with a resolution exceeding the wavelength of light by forming a nanometer-sized opening. When optical recording is performed, light is introduced into each of the micro holes as indicated by arrows in the figure, and recording is simultaneously performed on a recording material by light coming out of the openings at the respective tapered tip portions.

[0008]

However, this plate-shaped near-field recording head requires high precision when processing minute holes, and must be processed one by one. It is difficult to provide them in close proximity. Therefore, there is a problem in that stable production is difficult and costs are increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a film-shaped recording head which can be easily configured at a low cost and can simultaneously record a plurality of pieces of the same information, and a near-field recording apparatus provided with the same. With the goal.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a film-shaped recording head for performing optical recording on a recording material, wherein the recording head contacts the recording material. A film-shaped recording head characterized in that a plurality of refractive index changing portions of nanometer size are provided on a surface to be formed.

In the above configuration, the provision of a plurality of refractive index changing portions enables simultaneous recording of the same information.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 is the film recording head, wherein the refractive index changing portion is a convex portion or a concave portion having a tip diameter of 10 to 100 nm.

In the above configuration, the convex or concave portion has a tip diameter of 10
Since it is 100 nm, it is possible to record with a resolution exceeding the wavelength of light.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the film recording head according to the first or second aspect, and a light source provided at an end of the film recording head. And recording is performed using light leaked from the refractive index changing portion to the recording material side.

In the above configuration, by providing the film-shaped recording head provided with a plurality of refractive index changing portions, it becomes possible to simultaneously record a plurality of pieces of the same information at a resolution exceeding the wavelength of light.

The invention according to claim 4 is a near-field recording apparatus characterized in that at least one of the recording material and the film recording head is flexible.

In the above configuration, since at least one of the recording material and the film-shaped recording head is flexible, all the refractive index changing portions can come into contact with the recording material.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a near-field recording apparatus provided with a film recording head 2 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a part of the film recording head 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the film recording head 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a part of the film-shaped recording head in which a convex portion and a concave portion are emphasized. However, the same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

According to the present invention, a near-field recording apparatus is provided with a film-shaped recording head having a plurality of refractive index changing portions such as a plurality of convex portions or concave portions on a contact surface of a film with a recording material. The same information can be recorded in the location. In addition, a large number of convex portions or concave portions can be manufactured, and a plurality of the same heads can be easily and accurately duplicated, thereby reducing costs and stabilizing head performance.

A near-field recording apparatus provided with a film-shaped recording head according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, a near-field recording apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a glass support or PEN (polyethylene naphthalet).
Recording material 1 provided on a support and recorded by light
A film-shaped recording head 2 having a convex portion 4 or a concave portion (not shown) as a refractive index changing portion provided on a PEN support 5 on a contact surface with the recording material 1; A light source 3 having an elongated shape along one end and introducing light into the film, wherein light introduced from the light source leaks out from the convex or concave portion of the film-shaped recording head to the recording material side, thereby forming a recording material. Optical recording is performed on the top.

In the near-field recording apparatus, when information such as an image or a character is recorded in a plurality of places on a recording material, light from a light source is modulated in accordance with the information to thereby form a convex or concave portion on the film. The same information can be recorded at the same position at the same time. For example, the system is configured so that the recording material can move by the pitch between the refractive index changing portions, and the diameter of the convex portion is 5
When the thickness is 0 nm and the pitch is 100 μm, 2,000 independent information can be recorded on a recording material for one projection. Further, since the projections are arranged two-dimensionally on the film, 2000 × 2000 independent information can be recorded.

Next, the film-shaped recording head will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In FIG.
Film-shaped recording head 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention
Has a hemisphere, and a convex part 4 from which light leaks from the tip.
And a PEN support 5 provided with a plurality of the projections 4 on the surface. The convex portion 4 is provided two-dimensionally and has a width that enables recording of several nm, that is, several tens nm.
The size is as follows, and preferably, the diameter facing the film is 50 nm, and the tip diameter is 10 nm.
Further, the pitch between the convex portions is desirably 100 μm. When the film-shaped recording head has the plurality of protrusions, when the diameter of the protrusions provided two-dimensionally on the film is 50 nm and the pitch between the protrusions is 100 μm,
It is possible to simultaneously record 2000 × 2000 independent information.

In the film recording head of this embodiment, a concave portion can be provided on the film instead of the convex portion.
FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of a film-shaped recording head in which a concave portion 6 is used instead of a convex portion. A concave portion 6 from which light leaks from the most concave portion of the concave portion, and a concave portion 6 on the surface. A plurality of PEN supports 5 are provided.
The concave portion 6 is two-dimensionally arranged on the film, and has a width that enables recording of several nm in the same manner, and preferably has a diameter facing the film of 50 nm and a pitch of 100 μm.
m. In this case, similarly, 2000 × 2000 independent information can be recorded.

The above-mentioned projections or depressions can be easily formed by the 2P method. This 2P method is a method of transferring a pattern formed on a stamper to a substrate side by bringing a stamper, which is a master, into contact with a substrate coated with an ultraviolet-curing resin and removing the stamper after ultraviolet curing. The convex portion or concave portion of the film-shaped recording head of the embodiment is obtained by bringing a stamper having a convex or concave portion into contact with an ultraviolet curable resin coated on a PEN support, and peeling off the stamper after applying ultraviolet rays. Thereby, it is formed on a PEN support.

As described above, the projections or depressions are formed on the PEN support so as to have a diameter smaller than the wavelength of light from the light source. Therefore, the light introduced from the light source into the film, the refractive index changes at the portion where the refractive index of the convex portion or the concave portion changes and leaks to the recording material side, and exceeds the wavelength of light on the recording material. Resolution, ie, recording of nanometer size, can be performed.

In the present embodiment, the support of the film recording head is a flexible PEN support, but a rigid glass support is also possible. In such a case, at least one of the film-shaped recording head and the recording material needs to be flexible so that all the projections or depressions are in contact with the recording material, and the support of the recording material is preferably a PEN support. Body.

As described above, the film-shaped recording head according to the present invention is provided with a convex portion or a concave portion instead of the hole, and a plurality of the same convex portions or concave portions are formed by using the 2P method. Easy mass production and replication. Therefore, it is possible to provide an inexpensive film-shaped recording head with stable performance and a near-field recording apparatus including the same.

The above is the description of the near-field recording apparatus of the present invention.
Although a film-shaped recording head having a convex portion or a concave portion has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a film provided with a plurality of portions that refract nanometer-sized light on a film. Needless to say.

[0029]

As described above, according to the near-field recording apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to easily configure the apparatus at low cost and to record a plurality of pieces of the same information at the same time. Further, the protrusion or recess provided on the film-shaped recording head has a tip diameter of 1.
Since it is 0 to 100 nm, recording can be performed with a resolution exceeding the wavelength of light.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a near-field recording apparatus provided with a film recording head of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a part of the film recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view showing a part of a film recording head according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view showing a sharpened portion of a conventional aperture probe.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view showing a conventional plate-like near-field recording head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording material 2 Film-shaped recording head 3 Light source 4 Convex part 5 PEN support 6 Concave part 11 Core 12 Glad 13 Optical fiber 14 Metal layer 15 Flat plate 16 Micro hole

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A film-shaped recording head for performing optical recording on a recording material, wherein a plurality of nanometer-sized refractive index changing portions are provided on a surface of the recording head that contacts the recording material. Film-shaped recording head. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the refractive index change portion has a tip diameter of 10 to 10.
The film-shaped recording head according to claim 1, wherein the recording head is a convex portion or a concave portion of 0 nanometer. 3. The film-shaped recording head according to claim 1, further comprising: a light source provided at an end of the film-shaped recording head, wherein light is introduced from the light source to the film-shaped recording head to change the refractive index. A near-field recording apparatus for performing recording by light leaked from a recording unit to the recording material side. 4. The near-field recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the recording material and the film recording head is flexible.