US 7,612,323 B2Granted

Optical element for condensing incident light

AssigneeKonica Minolta Opto, Inc.

InventorsMasahiro Okitsu, Kazuyuki Ogura, Kenji Konno, Hiroshi Hatano

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Abstract

To obtain an optical element for generating near-field light which can accurately detect positions of a plurality of minute structures formed on a metallic thin film provided to a condensing surface, and a method of adjusting an optical spot position of the optical element. The metallic thin film is formed on the condensing surface of the optical element that condenses incident light so as to generate near-field light smaller than an condensing spot B near a condensing point, and a plurality of openings (minute structure) for generating the near-field light are formed into a matrix matter on the metallic thin film, and position detecting structures are formed on positions that partitions the openings is formed. Scanning in X and Y directions is carried out by a light beam, and its reflected light is detected so that the positions of the openings are detected.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A method for adjusting the position of a condensing spot relative to a near-field light generating minute structure formed near the condensing position of an optical element, comprising the steps of:

scanning a surface of the optical element perpendicular to an optical axis by a light beam;
detecting the position of position detecting minute structures formed outside of the near-field light generating minute structure;
and
detecting the position of the near-field light generating minute structure based on a change of reflectance of incident light, the near-field light generating minute structure, which includes:
a first area configured to provide a high reflectance of the incident light;
and
an opening within the first area configured to provide a slightly lower reflectance of the incident light than is provided by the first area;
wherein
the change of reflectance of the incident light from the position detecting minute structures to the first area, and from the first area to the opening, facilitates detecting the position of the near-field light generating minute structure.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/239,694Filed 28 Sep 2005
Priority: JP 2004-2907051 Oct 2004
Published: US 2006/0082875 A120 Apr 2006
Granted: 3 Nov 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G11B 7/1374
Lenses: objective lenses
G11B 7/1387
Means for guiding the beam from the source to the record carrier or from the record carrier to the detector: using the near-field effect
G11B 7/08505
With provision for moving the light beam into, or out of, its operative position or across tracks, otherwise than during the transducing…: methods…
Y10S 977/862
Scanning probe structure: near-field probe

Family

US 2006/0082875 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 Apr 2006
US 7,612,323 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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