Super-Resolution Recording by an Organic Photochromic Mask Layer

By using the super-resolution near-field structure (super-RENS) method, the super-resolution recording marks are obtained practically by an organic photochromic diarylethene mask layer, under much lower recording laser power of 0.45mW. The size of recording marks is decreased by 60% (from 1.6μm to 0.7μm) for a diarylethene (photo-mode) recording layer by the optical detection method (limited by optical diffraction), or decreased by 97% (from 1600nm to 50nm) for a heptaoxyl copper phthalocyanine (thermo-optical) recording layer, the latter is much smaller than the limitation of optical diffraction. In order to obtain a desirable result, a proper extent of photochemistry reaction in the mask layer is needed. Thus, the super-resolution recording marks can be obtained by adjusting the concentration of
diarylethene in the mask layer, the recording laser power, and the moving speed of the sample disc.