Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Detail of optical slider per se
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-26
2004-12-07
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2653)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Detail of optical slider per se
Reexamination Certificate
active
06829213
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical recording/reproducing apparatus, and in particular to a head of an optical recording/reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a recording medium for storing a large amount of data, a magnetic disc such as a HDD using a magnetic method, an optical disc such as a CD or DVD using an optical method and a photomagnetic disc, etc. using a photomagnetic effect are used.
The optical disc using the optical method should have a small bit (recording mark) size and a narrow track width in order to have a high-density recording capacity. However, because a spot size of light collected onto a disc so as to form a bit onto a recording layer thereon is restricted by diffraction limit, there is limit to improve a recording density.
Trends toward large storage in recording medium needs a new optical recording /reproducing method capable of overcoming the limit of the conventional optical recording/reproducing method. Recently, researches on near field recording/reproducing using a near field capable of improving a recording capacity epochally have increased.
Principals of the near field optical recording/reproducing will be described as follows. In light incident to a lens at an angle not less than a critical angle of the lens, when the light proceeds from an optically dense portion to an optically rare portion in a refractive index, the light is total-reflected. Herein, by the total reflection of the light, light having very low brightness exists on the surface of the lens, it is called an evanescent wave. By using the evanescent wave, it is possible to have high resolving power that could not have in the conventional far field due to absolute limit, namely, diffraction limit occurred by a light diffraction phenomenon.
A near field optical recording/reproducing instrument generates an evanescent wave on the surface of a lens by total-reflecting light in the lens, and accordingly data can be recorded and reproduced by coupling the evanescent wave to a disc.
FIGS. 1 and 2
respectively illustrate a structure of the conventional near field optical recording/reproducing apparatus. Herein,
FIG. 1
is a plan view, and
FIG. 2
is an enlarged-sectional view of a slider having SIL.
As depicted in
FIG. 1
, the conventional near field optical recording/reproducing apparatus includes a swing arm
21
installed so as to perform a reciprocating rotation; an actuator
23
for rotationally driving the swing arm
21
; and a head
30
installed at the end of the swing arm
21
in order to scan a track of a disc
10
by being lifted above the disc
10
by air dynamic pressure.
As depicted in
FIG. 2
, the head
30
includes an objective lens
31
, an opposed lens
32
separated from the objective lens
31
by a focus distance of the objective lens
31
and a slider
33
for fixing the lenses
31
,
32
. Herein, it is general to use a solid immersion lens (SIL) as the opposed lens, namely converging lens
32
.
In addition, in order to lift the slider
33
above the disc
10
, an air bearing system (ABS)
36
for generating air pressure between the disc
10
and the slider
33
is installed at the bottom surface of the slider
33
.
In the near field optical recording/reproducing apparatus, while the head
30
in a lifted state by the ABS
36
moves above the rotational disc
10
, data is recorded/reproduced onto the disc
10
.
In the meantime, when the head
30
in a lifted state by the ABS
36
moves above the rotational disc
10
, because of the ABS
36
installed at the both sides of the opposed lens
32
, the bottom surface of the slider
33
has not to escape from the inner or outer circumference of a recording capable region of the disc
10
, and accordingly there are regions incapable of recording/reproducing on the inner or outer circumference of the disc
10
.
In particular, according to miniaturization of a portable terminal, etc. using a recording/reproducing apparatus, it is required for a disc as a recording medium to have a small size and a high capacity, and accordingly existence of regions incapable of recording/reproducing is big restriction in increasing of a recording capacity of a disc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a head of an optical recording/reproducing apparatus which is capable of increasing recordable region on the inner or outer circumference of a disc.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a head of an optical recording/reproducing apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a slider at which an objective lens is installed at a top surface of the slider and a solid immersion lens (SIL) installation hole formed below the objective lens penetrates toward a bottom surface of the slider in order to install a SIL; a flying means fixedly installed around the SIL installation hole at the bottom surface of the slider in order to lift the slider above an optical recording medium; wherein a sectional area of the slider parallel to a surface of the optical recording medium increases from the bottom surface to the top surface of the slider.
In addition, an optical recording/reproducing apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a slider at which an objective lens is installed at a top surface of the slider and a solid immersion lens (SIL) installation hole formed below the objective lens penetrates toward to the bottom surface of the slider in order to install a SIL; a flying means fixedly installed around the SIL installation hole at the bottom surface of the slider in order to lift the slider above an optical recording medium; wherein a sectional area of the slider parallel to a surface of the optical recording medium increases from the bottom surface to the top surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5729393 (1998-03-01), Lee et al.
patent: 6084846 (2000-07-01), Jordache et al.
patent: 6288875 (2001-09-01), Budde
patent: 6582630 (2003-06-01), Jain et al.
Kim Jin Yong
Kim Soo Kyung
Kim Young-Sik
Lee Hong Degerman Kang & Schmadeka
Letscher George J.
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