Abstract

Compact, low-cost optical disk pickup heads are needed for advanced optical data storage applications, including multilayer optical disks, CD-ROM, and digital video disks (DVD). Monolithic integration of the optical pickup head on a single chip could significantly reduce its size, weight, and cost, and improve its performance.^1,2 Previously, using the surface-micromachined “free-space micro-optical bench" (FSMOB) technology, we have demonstrated a novel free-space optical disk pickup head on a single Si chip. The FSMOB is a batch-processing technique, which could be used to mass-produce "pre-aligned" optical systems at low cost. In this paper, we report on an improved free-space optical disk pickup head with four free-space micro-optical elements fabricated monolithically by the FSMOB technology.

© 1996 Optical Society of America