High-density optical data storage unit and method for writing and reading information

Abstract

This high-density optical data storage unit comprises a storage medium supported on a mechanically stable substrate, and a read/write arrangement employing a plurality of laser light sources and an interrogation light source. The laser light sources are designed as laser diodes attached to a substrate and optically aligned with an equal plurality of microlenses integrated in a first transparent layer. The read/write arrangement further comprises at least one second transparent layer, and an optional semitransparent conductive coating, said layer or said coating carrying a plurality of particulate protrusions which are also aligned with said diodes and said microlenses, said storage medium and said read/write arrangement being maintained in a mutually parallel alignment with a gap in between having a width of less than 100 nm. The protrusions in combination with the laser light sources produce dints in the medium which are representative of the data to be stored. The data is read by using the interrogation light source to produce light which is scattered by the dints and is then detected by the diodes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.