Pioneer, Rohm To Develop Violet Laser For DVD Recording

Pioneer Corp. and Rohm Co. said Monday they have agreed to jointly develop violet-colored semiconductor lasers for use in large-capacity DVDs and other advanced optical discs. Electronics companies are vying to develop large-capacity DVDs. And violet lasers, which have a powerful reading capability, are essential for DVD players if they are to record digital images over a long period. Both companies target marketing the new laser in two years. Pioneer and Rohm aim to develop a gallium nitride-based laser with 410 nanometer wavelength. Though Pioneer has been working on honing its laser technology, it has lacked the know-how necessary for mass production. Meanwhile, Rohm has been conducting research on developing a violet semiconductor laser that is not based on gallium nitride. The two companies have decided to join forces to catch up with Nichia Chemical Industries Ltd. And other firms leading in the field and mass production at a Rohm plant is being considered, officials at the two companies said. Existing DVDs' memory capacity is 4.7 gigabytes, - sufficient for recording high-definition digital images for only about 40 minutes. If DVD recorders are to replace VCRs, they must be able to record for more than 2 hours. Red semiconductor lasers, which are currently widely used, are incapable of reading high-density DVDs needed for long hours of DVD recordings. Source: Asia Pulse