Patent · US Expired

Optical head with monolithic layer for optical storage

US6522617B1 · kind B1 · utility

3Cited by
7References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 13, 1999
Grant dateFeb 18, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 13, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B2007/13727
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Optical heads having a monolithic layer for interfacing storage media and methods for manufacturing such heads. In one embodiment, the substrate has first and second surfaces to define a through hole which forms an optical path and a lens with a spherical surface and a flat surface opposing the spherical surface is disposed in the optical path in the through hole. The flat surface is coplanar with a flat portion of the second surface. The optical head also includes a transparent layer contiguously formed over both the flat surface of the lens and the second surface of the substrate to form a monolithic layer. The refractive index of the additional layer may match that of the lens. In addition, the additional layer may have a material hardness greater than that of the lens to protect the lens and to reduce wear.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.