Dye-in-polymer films for ablative optical recording with GaAs diode lasers

Abstract

A high‐sensitivity, ablative dye‐in‐polymer film which can be written and read with a GaAsdiode laser has been identified and evaluated. A 105‐nm‐thick antireflecting film, consisting of 20% of a carbocyanine dye (NK1748) dissolved in poly(vinyl acetate) on an aluminized glass substrate, was ∼3.5 times more sensitive at 835 nm than a 15‐nm Te monolayer on a poly(methyl methacrylate) substrate; submicron marks were recorded. The signal contrast (R f −R i ) /(R f +R i ) of large marks in the plateau region was ∼0.5. Morphological studies show the expected removal of recording material in the process of mark formation.