Observation of Recording Pits on the Phase-Change Film Using Scanning Prove Microscope

Toshiya Nishimura¹, Masato Iyoki², and Shouji Sadayama²

1) Seiko Instruments Inc. 563 Takatsukashin-den Matsudo-shi, Chiba 270-2222, Japan
2) Seiko Instruments Inc. 563 takenoshita oyama-cyo suntougun, shizuoka 410-1393, Japan

Data recording pits of Digital Versatile Disk Random Access Memory (DVD-RAM) and Compact Disk Rewritable (CD-RW) are written on a phase-change film by the heat of the laser beam transforming its crystal state from the crystallized state to the amorphous state. To distinguish the crystal state change in very small area, there are some measuring mode using scanning probe microscopy such as, Kelvin Force Microscopy (KFM), Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (SNOAM). We observed the crystal state change in very small area on the phase-change film with these two measuring modes and made comparison of the results. We discussed on the merit of each measuring mode for such application.