Integrated Thermal and Optical Analyses of Phase-Change Optical Disk

Abstract

An integrated analysis system based on thin film optics, thermal transfer and electromagnetics is developed. Thermal conductivity and generated heat are discussed for mark formation. The simulations of multilayer calorific sources and multibeam heating sources using the finite element method (FEM) are investigated. The readout of nanometer-scaled marks based on computational electromagnetics using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) analysis is discussed. The real marks captured with microscopes can be analyzed using this integrated analysis system combined with digital image technology. Material models in the electromagnetic vector method are discussed with reference to different layers of disk. It provides a powerful tool for structure design and failure analysis of phase-change optical disks.