Optical Data Storage Roadmap 2005-2015 X RGZech@ADVENT

The 2005-15 Roadmap
Optical Storage for

Consumer Electronics
Richard G. Zech, Ph.D.
Di Chen, Ph.D.
Pil Sun Zech
The ADVENT Group

130 Cresta Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
719.633.4377 TEL
719.635.4410 FAX
adventgrp@adelphia.net
December 2004
The 2005-15 Roadmap
Optical Storage for Consumer Electronics
The ADVENT Group
The Roadmap for Optical Storage for Consumer Electronics is published annually.
It covers the entire range of optical storage products with an emphasis on CD and
DVD. Technology, applications, shipments and markets are emphasized. This
year future technologies are a primary focus. Blu-ray and HD DVD, plus
emerging technologies for next generation products, are compared to alternative
technologies. UV and X-ray light sources are considered for the first time.
Forecasts for new products are made out to 2015. An expanded version of this
report is included for the first time in the National Electronics Manufacturers
Initiative (NEMI) bi-annual roadmap.
Much valuable technical information was obtained from CeBIT 2004, ODS 2004,
MediaTech 2004, and SPIE 2004 Annual Meeting. We acknowledge with pleasure
the support of MediaTech USA and SPIE. A debt is owed for the insights
provided by Dr. Kevin Curtis (CTO, InPhase Technologies), Dr. Dave Davies
(CTO, DataPlay), Mr. Hideyoshi Horimai (CTO, Optoware), Mr. Andy Marken
(President, Marken Communications), and Mr. Nigel Street (CEO, Plasmon plc).
ADVENT provides consulting and expert witness services, mainly in the areas of
computer storage, photonics, and consumer electronics. ADVENT also publishes
in-depth reports on major trade shows and technical conferences including CES,
CeBIT, CLEO, COMDEX/Fall, Cable, MediaTech, NAB, ODS/ISOM, and OFC,
technology roadmaps, and white papers on consumer electronics technology. It
also provides technical analyses and product information on computer storage,
digital cameras, and flat panel displays.
Please direct all questions and comments about this report to the undersigned.
Dick Zech
________________________
Richard G. Zech, Ph.D.
President & Managing Principal
December 03, 2004
© The ADVENT Group 2004 p-2

Table of Contents
Section Topic page
Executive Summary 4
1 Introduction 5
2 Industry Overview 8
2.1 CD and DVD 8
2.2 Blue Laser Disc - Consumer 8
2.3 Blue Laser Disc - Computer 9
2.4 Small Form Factor Disc (SFFD) 10
2.5 Magneto-Optical 10
2.6 Large Format 12
3 Market Dimensions 18
Roadmap Technologies and Product

4 Predictions 27
Advanced Technologies Supporting the
4.1 28
Roadmap
4.2 Key Component Attributes 28
5 Future Technology Needs 42
Appendix Glossary 44

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Optical storage in the form of CD, DVD, and its successors is one of the most important in
consumer electronics (CE). It is a diverse and growing family of products for audio-video
publication and recording, software and database distribution, and data backup and archiving. No
storage technology provides more low-cost, application-specific solutions for consumer
electronics. The 2003 ex-factory revenues for optical storage drives and media is almost $25
billion.
Over the past 30 years, optical storage has also offered the IT market solutions ranging from 3.5"
MO and 5.25" MO to 12" and 14" WORM, both stand-alone and optical disc library resident. In
1982, a family of 120mm disc read-only products was launched, starting with CD-DA. DVD
followed in 1995 .Today, third generation "blue laser" products with more than 20 GB capacity
per storage layer are just entering the market. These products form the consumer electronics core
of the optical storage business. Holographic memories systems are also poised for shipment
within the next 12 months. Optical storage highlighted in the roadmap period 2005-2015 has the
potential to reach capacity levels of 200 GB for both read-only (replicated) and
recordable/rewritable (WO/RW) media on multilayer 120mm diameter discs. UDO (Ultra
Density Optical) technology using WO and RW 130mm phase change discs could reach a
capacity of 240 GB before 2015.
Optical storage dominates today's AV products, but it is not without competition. Many
alternative approaches to today’s established data storage technologies will develop over the next
decade. These include MRAM (magnetic random access memory), probe-based, molecular,
fluorescent multilayer optical, near-field optical and 3-D holographic storage components and
systems. The impact on the design and performance of MEMS and nanotechnology on data
storage is expected to be significant.
Although the future of optical storage appears assured for at least the next 10 years, the
technology has reached a critical plateau. The wavelength limit (405nm) of laser diodes in the
conventional optical domain (400-700nm) has been reached, as have the practical limits of
objective lens numerical aperture (0.85) and rotation speed (about 10,000 rpm). New
technologies and materials that provide super resolution and low-noise operation at UV
wavelengths will be required to drive the future of "optical" (using an extended definition)
storage beyond the projections of the current roadmap.

1 INTRODUCTION
Optical storage is the most diverse of storage technologies. It features read-only (RO), write-
once (WO), and rewritable (RW) media and media removability. It enables consumer electronics
(CE) products with high market appeal, ranks only after magnetic disc drive penetration in the
storage suites of PCs and workstations, and can be used for image and document capture, near-
line storage, AV (audio-video) editing, and archiving in professional and enterprise applications.
Attempts to find profitable market niches for optical storage over the past 40 years has led to a
spectrum of technologies and disc sizes and types, competing with one another for a broad range
of applications. However, very few optical storage products succeeded in being mass storage that
achieved mass markets. Only highly standardized1 products have achieved significant market
penetration.
From about 1965 to 19872 many thought that rewritable optical storage would challenge and
eventually displace magnetic storage. The extraordinary improvement in price/performance from
1987 to today made magnetic disc the dominant (general purpose) storage technology. Higher
cost and lower throughput (data transfer rates and access times) make it impossible for optical
storage to displace magnetic storage from its market segments. As a result, optical storage has
evolved solutions that emphasize its strengths: (1) standardized, removable replicated media, (2)
write-once (recordable), removable, crash-proof, and archival (long life) media, and (3) near-line
storage using an optical disc library (ODL; also, "jukebox").
Optical storage for CE (personal entertainment) storage, on the other hand, was conceived for
specific consumer applications (primarily, digital audio and video in the forms of read-only and
recordable/rewritable CD and DVD media). Strict media standards permit specific applications
to be implemented by means of signal processing, logical and applications level software, and
packaging; for example, DVD-Video is a CE application of DVD-ROM (a computer storage
technology), not a new format. Recall that a CD-DA replicated in 1982 can still be played today,
more than 20 years later. The same will likely be true for SDTV (standard definition television)
DVD discs and successors.
The successful introductions of CD-DA in 1982, CD-ROM in 1984, and DVD in 1995 ensured
that almost all development resources would be focused on optical storage for CE and
PC/Workstation applications. Computer data optical storage applications declined rapidly in the
1990s due both to the incredible achievements of magnetic disc storage and an unacceptably
slow improvement in price/performance. Today, only Fujitsu’s highly reliable 3.5"/86mm ISO
MO (magneto-optical) disc product line (offering 0.64, 1.3 and 2.4 GB media capacities)
survives and prospers. The robust 5.25"/130mm ISO MO (magneto-optical) disc product line
(offering 5.2 and 9.1 GB media capacities) has reached the end of its technology life, and is
slowly being phased out of production. Plasmon’s 30 GB UDO (Ultra Density Optical)
5.25"/130mm phase change product line was first shipped in late 2003. Although its to early to
1
Both public (for example, ISO and ECMA) and proprietary (for example, Sony/Philips "books" and the DVD Forum)
specifications/standards have been promulgated.
2
In 1987 Maxtor introduced a 780 MB FH magnetic disc drive. For the first time, the number of magnetic disc
surfaces per spindle trumped the track density advantage of optical disc media. Consequently, magnetic disc drives
would thereafter have the greater “box” capacity, an advantage likely to last for the indefinite future.

speculate on reliability and market acceptance, UDO is generally acknowledged to be the
successor to both 5.25" MO and 12" WORM storage.
Capacity and throughput for optical storage will continue to improve, though it appears more
slowly than for magnetic storage. Recall that optical disc capacity increases not continuously, as
is the case for magnetic disc and tape, but in distinct leaps (for example, 650 MB CD to 4.7 GB
DVD). Moreover, optical media are removable, which in itself mandates more conservative
capacity targets. Throughput for optical storage devices, as defined by data rate and access time,
is well behind that of magnetic disc. However, for the mainstream CE applications of optical disc
hardware and media (CD and DVD), this has little consequence. The media and supporting
drives are designed for specific applications (music and video playback being the best known).
And even for PC/workstation applications, few would argue that installing a 50 MB program
from a CD-ROM disc is inferior to installing it from a set of 3.5" floppy discs, even if the CD-
ROM reader sustained data rate is less than 20% of the typical desktop hard disc drive. Optical
drives and media designed for generic computer data storage (for example, 3.5" and 5.25" MO)
aim to satisfy a higher performance standard
The technology of optical storage has advanced significantly over the past 10 years. Optics, laser
diodes, servo controls, media manufacturing quality, coding, and read/write channels have all
improved greatly. An important example is the "blue" laser diode. In the early 1990s operation
outside the laboratory of GaN-based blue laser diodes was not thought feasible. However, by
1995 Japanese chemical company Nichia (Tokushima, Japan) demonstrated the first stable
devices. By 2001, the company was sampling 405nm, 5 mW laser diode kits for $5,000. Today,
405nm 30 mW laser diodes sell for less than $50 OEM. Laser diodes with pulsed output power
of 200 mW and CW (continuous wave) output power of 100 mW are also available. Moreover,
operating life now exceeds 10,000 hours. Blue laser diodes are the focus of and driving
technology behind the optical storage products profiled in the near-term and future roadmaps.
The market and applications profiles for optical storage can be defined by four primary segments
(this definition is intended to be broadly inclusive):
Ø Segment 1: Consumer Electronics (CE) – This segment includes, for example, CD-DA,
DVD-Video, DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD-RAM, MiniDisc, and BD/HD DVD.
Ø Segment 2: PC/Workstation – This segment includes all non-application specific CD/DVD
storage and 3.5" MO (5.25" MO is sometimes used for archival storage in medical image
processing workstations and similar applications, but the volume is very low).
Ø Segment 3: Professional (including departmental) – This segment includes 5.25" MO and
UDO and Sony’s Professional Disc for DATA (both are "blue laser" technologies); 3.5" MO
is sometimes used by this segment, but penetration is relatively low.
Ø Segment 4: Data Center (enterprise) – This segment also includes 5.25" MO and UDO and
Sony’s Professional Disc for DATA, but with a much greater emphasis on optical disc library
(ODL) solutions.
Some overlap exists. The status and roadmap tables will help clarify principal market segments
in terms of type of optical storage.
Consumer electronics, primarily audio-video (AV), digital image capture, and gaming
applications, is, and will likely continue to be, the largest and fastest growing segment. The

advent of high-definition TV (HDTV) will make the evolving blu-ray disc (BD) and its successor
optical technologies essential for both consumer and professional (for example, non-linear
editing and movie/TV program production) AV applications. Other professional applications will
include law, medical, and government offices. PC/workstation applications will continue to be a
major market for multifunction optical storage drives that integrate total CD and DVD
functionality (and later, BD) into a single unit. Optical storage data center application
opportunities will continue to decline3, but will be necessary when reliable, near-line and
archival storage for large databases are required (these are primarily optical disk library + WO4
optical media applications).
Manufacturing of hardware and media is, and will continue to be, entirely dominated by Asian
companies (Japan, Korea and Taiwan/China, in particular). North American-based companies
will mainly play the essential role of product and system integrators for value-added
applications.
3
Legal requirements may mandate the use of WO media for the foreseeable future; this is a small, but profitable,
niche for WO optical media, such as Plasmon’s UDO and high-quality DVD+/-R discs.
4
WO and WORM (Write-Once/Read-Mostly) are synonymous.

2 INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
Optical storage over the past 30 years has provided a multiplicity of storage solutions. The range
spans the first analog video disc and 12" WO systems in the 1970s to today’s blu-ray disc (BD)
drives and media. Table 1 summarizes the many types of optical disc storage shipping today in
terms of primary technical parameters and market segments served5. Table 2 compares the key
technology parameters for HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and UDO. An assessment of the current
status of optical storage products follows.
2.1 CD/DVD
The center of gravity of optical storage today is CD/DVD drives and media. CD/DVD is a
mature technology that has become ubiquitous in the CE and PC/Workstation market segments.
CD products were supposed to have reached the end of their product life by this time. However,
sub-$500 desktop computers created an unexpected market opportunity that promises to keep CD
drives in production for at least the next 3-5 years6. Moreover, CD-DA is still very popular and
the vast majority of music is still distributed on these discs. Most new cars come equipped with a
CD player. The same is true for software distribution on CD-ROM (more than 95% of
commercial software easily fits on a CD-ROM). Hence, CD media has a long-term future, even
as CD drive functions are absorbed into DVD drives. CD-RW drives were expected to displace
floppy discs. This is happening, but only slowly, and mainly for laptop computers (CD-
RW/DVD-ROM combo drives dominate). DVD-ROM media has not proved an attractive
substitute for CD-ROM discs for software distribution. However, DVD-ROM drives, which have
integral CD read capabilities and can read DVD-Video discs with appropriate software, are the
de facto ROM storage peripheral for a large fraction of today’s PCs and workstations. DVD-
Video players (alone and in combination with VCRs) have proved very successful CE products.
More recently, shipments of recordable/rewritable DVD-Video systems (based on DVD+/-RW
or DVD-RAM) have accelerated, thanks to retail prices falling below $300. DVD multi drives
that combine (1) DVD-RAM and DVD-R (and all CD and DVD-ROM functions; Matsushita,
Hitachi, and Toshiba are leading manufacturers) or (2) DVD+/-R and DVD+/-RW capabilities
(and all CD and DVD-ROM functions; Pioneer, Samsung, Sony and Philips are leading
manufacturers) are common. DVD super multi drives that combine DVD+/-RW and DVD-RAM
are also available, but less common (Hitachi-LG Electronics is the sole source of this hardware).
Figure 1 shows the LG Model GSA-4210B, which also supports the new DVD+/-R Dual Layer
(DL) discs. DVD+/-RW drives have reached 16x speed, DVD-RAM drives 5x speed. DVD+/-R
DL (dual or double layer) recordable discs became available in 2Q 2004 at 2.4x speed; DL-
capable drives are required to write these discs. Dual-layer rewritable DVD is feasible, but no
products have been announced.
2.2 Blue Laser Disc – Consumer Applications

Blu-ray disc and HD DVD are successor technologies to DVD for video recording. They are
application specific for high definition television (HDTV) playback and recording, but form the
basis for a computer data storage device, as was the case for CD and DVD. HDTV requires
5
An even larger table could be constructed to represent optical storage products from the period 1972-2003 that are
no longer shipping or that failed in the market.
6
Those who follow the industry will recall that forecasts circa 1997-2000 strongly asserted that CD-ROM would be
almost completely displaced by DVD-ROM by 2003 or 2004. Although CD drive production is declining, it is still
significant.

about four times the bandwidth of standard definition television (SDTV). With some fine tuning
of the MPEG-2 codec, 25 GB capacity (single layer) and 36 Mbps data rate yields 135 minutes
of HDTV, plus extras (this contrasts with 4.7 GB and 11 Mbps for the DVD SDTV standard).
Both BD and HD DVD will provide RO, WO and RW media support and can use multilayers to
double or even quadruple capacity. To achieve HDTV level capacities and data rates, a blue laser
diode must be used. Additionally, an objective lens with a higher NA is required. The BD
approach is to implement "near front surface" recording (0.1mm protective layer, which
increases tilt and aberration tolerances) and use a NA=0.85 objective lens. HD DVD preserves
the basic 2 (polycarbonate) substrate x 0.6mm design of DVD and uses a NA=0.65 objective
lens; active tilt control will probably be needed. Many 100,000s of test disc have been
successfully made for each proposed format; yields are already approaching 90% and costs are
only marginally higher.
An HD DVD standard, sponsored by Toshiba and NEC, has been proposed to the DVD Forum
and is approved at Rev 1.0 for RO discs. A BD standard has not yet been submitted (the BD
Group may choose to develop a standard independent of the DVD Forum). A DVD Forum
subcommittee is working on reconciling the two standards. Given that HDTV is not yet
pervasive and may not be until sometime in the 2006-2009 period, BD and HD DVD (or, if
common sense prevails, some combination7) will enter the market slowly in 2005 and not begin
shipping in large volumes until about 2008. These HDTV players and recorders will likely be
able to play DVD-Video discs (backward compatibility is an important marketing consideration).
Mastering and replication are not expected to present any significant manufacturing problems.
Matsushita (Osaka, Japan) announced the DMR-E700B BD recorder for consumer recording of
HDTV signals on July 01, 2004. The hardware is priced at about $2,800, and it supports basic
CD/DVD functionality. This is the world’s first blue laser, two-layer optical storage product line.
Both 25 GB (LM-BRM25) and 50 GB (LM-BRM50) discs are available for $35 and $70,
respectively. Maximum recording time is 4.5 hours of HDTV at a 25 Mbps bit rate. Matsushita
plans to manufacture about 2,000 drives per month (the company also will make the RW phase
change media). The product line will only be available in Japan initially. This technology was
first demonstrated at ISOM (international Symposium on Optical Storage) 2001. At that time
Matsushita made clear that 2-layer, 2-sided discs with 100 GB cartridge capacity were also
feasible. See Table 2 for details. The product will initially only be sold in Japan. A generic data
storage version is likely in the near future.
2.3 Blue Laser Disc – Computer Applications

Ultra Density Optical (UDO) was originally conceived by Sony as means of extending the
product life of 5.25" ISO MO. Over time, the disc recording layer was changed from MO to
phase change and Sony transferred the technology to Plasmon (Cambridge, England). After three
years of development and an estimated $25 million total investment, Plasmon began initial
shipments of UDO drives and discs in 4Q 2003. UDO is blue laser optical storage (but not a blu-
ray derivative). Cartridge capacity is 30 GB (15 GB per surface) and data rate is 8 MBps (max).
Figure 2 shows examples of an internal drive and 130mm WO and RW phase change disc
cartridges. The list price for discs is $60 for WO and $75 for RW; drive list price is $3,000. The
7
The genesis of today’s DVD was a combination of MultiMedia CD (MMCD; Sony and Philips) and Super Density CD
(SDCD; Toshiba) in 4Q 1995. Sony contributed what would later become DVD-9. Overall, Toshiba’s concepts
dominate the DVD standard.

UDO cartridge design complies with that for ISO 5.25" MO. Hence, ODL applications are fully
supported from first shipments (Plasmon is the world’s leading ODL manufacturer; its G-Series
will be used with UDO drives to provide up to 2.4 TB of near-line storage). UDO is a pure
computer storage peripheral. Its primary applications will include archiving, near-line storage,
document management, and image and data collection. Primary markets will include finance,
government, health care, and military. IBM, HP and Dell are acknowledged UDO supporters.
See Table 2 for details.
Sony has developed a professional blue laser product line called Professional Disc for DATA
(PDD) for HDTV studio and related AV applications. Drives (BW-F101), WO (PDDWO23) and
RW (PDDRW23) media , third party software, and 19" rack-mountable ODLs (with near-line
capacities over 1 TB) are available. Details are given in Table 2. Figure 3 shows the basic PDD
internal and external drive and 23 GB disc cartridge family. Although pitched to the professional
AV market, PDD is a generic computer storage peripheral, suitable for most IT storage
applications. Sony makes clear that PDD is not BD, which by definition is a consumer product
concept. The more robust design, higher data rates (9 MBps write and 11 MBps read), lack of
media interchange, sophisticated software support, and high prices (approximately, $2,800 and
$50 for drive and disc, respectively) confirm this. The product line will initially only be available
in Japan.
2.4 Small Form Factor Disc (SFFD) Optical Storage

In addition to MD and the Sanyo SFFD optical storage products, DataPlay (Boulder, CO)
developed a "micro-optical engine" drive mechanism and 32mm diameter replicated and WO
phase change discs (originally, provided by Ritek and Imation). DataPlay’s Digital Media
product line was designed to be a robust CE product for portable audio, still image storage, and
related digital content applications. Capacity is 250 MB and 373 MB (second generation) per
side and 7.8 Mbps data rate; a 650 nm red laser is used. OEM drive cost was about $100 and
retail media cost for a 500 MB cartridge is $10. Financial problems caused the company to shut
down, but it re-opened in March 2003. Most of its business and manufacturing are done in
China. Philips also announced development of a SFFD optical storage device in June 2002.
Using a blue laser and 30mm diameter phase change disc, the potential for 1 GB capacity (RO
and WO modes) was demonstrated. However, the company dropped the project in November
2003 with the explanation that the business units chose not to support it. LG Electronics (Seoul,
Korea) is also known to be developing RO/WO SFFD optical storage products, but no
announcement has been made. Finally, Sony announced a UMD (Universal Media Disc) in late
June 2004. Designed for Sony’s recently announced PlayStation Portable (PSP), the new optical
storage medium uses a 60mm diameter disc and has a RO capacity of 1.8 GB. A 660nm red laser
diode is used for reading. The shell of the disc cartridge looks similar to that used for Sony’s
PDD media, but is much smaller and has a relatively large UMD logo. First shipments are not
scheduled until March 2005. Although Sony has targeted this product for gaming applications, a
blue laser version of UMD could easily support a 120mm DVD-Video capacity of 4.7 GB; this
would provide an elegant new CE video product.
2.5 Magneto-Optical
For more than 25 years, magneto-optical (MO) discs were considered the dominant rewritable
medium. MO optical storage is a form of thermally assisted perpendicular magnetic recording.
The discs are robust, read and rewrite cycles are essentially infinite, and most vendors promise

an archival life of 25-50 years. When archiving data was really important, MO was the storage
medium of choice8. The major competitors to MO media were historically phase change (limited,
but commercially viable, read and rewrite cycles – outside a testing lab, few examples of media
failure can be cited) and reversible dye polymers (very inexpensive, but read and rewrite cycles
were generally inadequate).
By the mid 1990s, reversible dye polymers were proven unsuitable and phase change had
improved so significantly that it was chosen for CD-RW (cost, simplicity of drive design, and
replicated media compatibility were important selection criteria) and, later, all of today’s
rewritable DVD and next-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD optical storage. In the end, it was
cost and complexity, not performance, that limited MO to computer storage applications9. MO
media and drives were simply too expensive for most consumer electronic applications (Sony's
MiniDisc being an important exception). Even for professional and enterprise applications, MO
was only marginally affordable; however, it was often the only choice for robust, high-reliability
near-line storage.
3.5"/86mm and 5.25"/130mm form factor drives and ISO standardized MO discs were brought to
market in the late 1980s. Today’s maximum shipping capacities are 2.3 GB (initially, 128 MB)
and 9.1 GB (initially, 650 MB), respectively. Figure 4 shows an example of the current
generation 3.5" MO drive and 2.3 GB disc10 cartridge. No roadmap for ISO-standard 3.5" MO is
in the public domain beyond 2.3 GB capacity. Fujitsu (Tokyo, Japan) controls this technology
and its markets (mainly Japan and other parts of Asia). However, one or two future generations
of backward compatible products appear feasible.
The roadmap for 5.25" ISO-standard MO ends at 9.1 GB. Plasmon’s UDO (which uses phase
change media) is now the future for 130mm optical storage, and it has its own roadmap. Finally,
5.25 MO drive production is limited and probably will be phased out sometime in 2005 or 2006,
when UDO and PDD products become both generally available in volume and proven reliable.
TeraStor (San Jose, CA; circa 1997-1999) attempted commercial development of a 5.25" HH
optical drive based on near-field recording (NFR) principles and 130mm MO discs with 15-20
GB per surface capacity (developed by Imation). After investing about $100 million and growing
to 125 employees, the company admitted failure and went out of business. The main unsolvable
problem was contamination of the solid immersion lens (SIL) after only a small number of writes
(replicated optical discs greatly minimize this problem).
At about the same time, Quinta (Mountain View, CA) attempted to develop a 5.25"/130mm MO
disc storage system the company called "thermally assisted Winchester" (know today as
HAMR). The Quinta concept essential built a magnetic disk drive with a spindle of 130mm MO
discs, each having a slider per surface. The sliders were connected via optical fibers to a sidecar
optical switch and a laser diode and related optics. Essentially, this was perpendicular writing
and reading with a magnetic head and localized laser spot heating. Beyond detailed drawings and
8
A WORM versions of MO, firmware implemented as in the case of WORM tape, was available for 5.2 GB MO discs,
but not for the later 9.1 GB disc.
9
MO recording layers for blue laser optical storage tend to have lower read signals and to be noisier.
10
The 86mm MO optical discs are single sided and single layer. This does not appear likely to change. Although it is
technically feasible to go double sided, double layer is far more challenging.

a novel fiber optical switch, the company demonstrated little, and was acquired by Seagate
Technologies.
Until October 2001, Maxoptix (San Jose, CA) pursued development of its Optical Super Density
(OSD) 5.25" optical drive and 130mm MO disc. The project goal was 20 GB/surface (40 GB per
cartridge) capacity and 30 MBps data rate. The intended product would have been a direct
competitor to Plasmon’s UDO. The project was terminated because MO media capable of
supporting more than 13 GB per surface could not be obtained. Maxoptix, a 5.25" MO pioneer,
exited the mainstream optical storage business altogether soon thereafter (the company is now
focused on magnetic tape automation solutions through its acquisition of Breece Hill Systems).
MiniDisc (MD) is a SFFD (small form factor disc) consumer electronics, MO-disc product that
is shipping and appears to have a long-term future. Sony introduced the MiniDisc (approximately
2.5" form factor/64.8mm diameter disc) for audio playback and recording and data storage (130
MB capacity) in 1992. In many ways, MiniDisc is the MO version of CD-DA, except for Sony’s
proprietary ATRAC audio compression technology. Since its introduction, 80 million drives and
1.1 billion discs have shipped (mainly in Japan and other parts of Asia). In 4Q 2003, Sony
announced Hi-MD, which increased capacity to 1 GB (the disc specification is significantly
different from the original MD and a different MO recording method is used, but backward read
compatibility is maintained).
Finally, Sanyo Electric (Tokyo, Japan) shipped the iD (intelligent image +Disk) MO system in
December 2000. Developed in partnership with Olympus and Hitachi Maxell, the iD system used
a 50mm diameter MO disc, MSR (Magnetically-induced Supper Resolution) write/read, and a
650nm red laser diode to achieve 730 MB capacity (single sided), a 4.6 Gb/in2 storage density,
and a data rate of 15.6 Mbps. Cartridge media cost $32. The optical disc drive was designed to fit
a 1.5 megapixel digital camera (iD Photo), which was both expensive (over $1,500) and less than
competitive in terms of image quality. The drive alone was estimated to have added over $300 to
the camera cost. A stand-alone MO storage subsystem was also announced. The product line was
withdrawn less than two years later.
2.6 Large-format Optical Disc Storage

The large-format optical disc segment (130mm-356mm disc diameter, MO and write-once
ablative and phase change storage layers), as a practical matter, no longer exists. Sony
manufactures 5.25" MO drives only on a limited basis, and may stop production completely in
the near future (disc cartridges will remain available). Plasmon, the last manufacturer of a 12"
drive/300mm WORM disc (30 GB capacity; phase change media) product line, has or will soon
end production of the drives (except for refurbishing; media and service will be available for the
foreseeable future). At one time, more than 10 companies worldwide supplied large-format
optical disc storage. Kodak developed a 14" drive/356mm WORM disc product line (10.8 and 25
GB capacities), but exited the market in 1Q 1999. ATG Gigadisc, Hitachi, Matsushita, Optimem,
Sony, and Toshiba once provided 12" drive/300mm disc (ablative WORM media) products.
Sony also shipped a limited number of 8" drive/200mm disc (ablative WORM) solutions. Nikon
developed and shipped in the mid 1990s a 12" drive/300mm disc (rewritable MO). By the late
1990s all of these products were out of production. The majority of these drives and discs were
used in optical disc libraries. Primary applications included image and data collection
(particularly in health care and energy markets), customer service support, and the archiving of

large government and corporate databases. The market for these products in terms of units was
always small; hence, unit prices were too high for general and consumer use. Price/performance
advances of competing technologies (magnetic tape and disc arrays) minimized the need for
large-format disc optical storage, except where WORM media is mandated by law or regulation.
Plasmon’s UDO product line, which provides 30 GB of either WO or RW capacity, is an
excellent replacement for all of the above products, and is significantly less expensive.

Table 1: Shipping Products
Examples of Today's Optical Disc Storage Products
Form Disc Type/ Capacity Write/Read In Market

Product Name
Factor Diameter (mm) (GB) Options Production Segments
replicated/
CD-DA 5.25" HH 0.65-0.80 RO Yes 1
120mm
replicated/
CD-ROM 5.25" HH 0.65-0.80 RO Yes 2,3,4
120/80mm
replicated/
VCD/SuperVCD 5.25" HH 0.65-0.80 RO Yes 1
120mm
dye layer or phase
CD-R/CD-RW 5.25" HH change/ 0.65-0.80 RO/WO/RW Yes 1,2,3
120/80mm
replicated/
DVD-ROM 5.25" HH 4.7-17 RO Yes 2,3,4
120/80mm
DVD Combo dye layer &
5.25" HH 0.65-0.80
(CD-RW + DVD- replicated/ WO/RO Yes 2
slim-line 4.7-17
ROM) 120mm
replicated/
DVD-Video 5.25" HH 4.7-17 RO Yes 1
120mm
replicated/
DVD-Audio 5.25" HH 4.7-17 RO Yes 1
120mm
SACD replicated/
5.25" HH 0.65/4.7 RO Yes 1
(dual layer) 120mm
dye layer/
DVD+/-R 5.25" HH 4.7-9.4 RO/WO Yes 1,2,3
120/80mm
dye layer/
DVD+/-R DL 5.25" HH 8.5 RO/WO Yes 1,2,3
120mm
phase change/
DVD+/-RW 5.25" HH 4.7/9.4 RO/WO/RW Yes 1,2,3
120mm
phase change/
DVD-RAM 5.25" HH 4.7/9.4 RO/WO/RW Yes 1,2,3
120/80mm
DVD Multi phase change/
5.25" HH 4.7-17 RO/WO/RW Yes 1,2
(DVD+/-RW 120mm
DVD Super Multi
phase change/
(DVD+/-RW + DVD- 5.25" HH 4.7-17 RO/WO/RW Yes 1,2
120mm
RAM)
Prof. Disc for DATA-1 phase change/
5.25" HH 23.3 WO/RW Yes 3
(Sony) 120mm
BD HD Recorder phase change/
5.25" HH 25/50 RO/RW Yes 1
(Matsushita) 120mm
replicated & phase
DataPlay SFFD change/ 0.75 RO/WO Yes 1,2
32mm
MiniDisc 2.5" HH MO/64.8mm 0.13 RO/RW Yes 1,2
3.5" ISO MO 3.5" HH MO/86mm 2.3 RW Yes 2,3
5.25" ISO MO 5.25" HH MO/130mm 9.1 WO/RW Limited 2,3,4
phase change/
UDO-1 5.25" HH 30 WO/RO Yes 3,4
130mm

Table 2: First-Generation Blue Disk Optical Storage Products
Toshiba/NEC Matsushita Sony Plasmon
Prof. Disc for

name HD DVD BD Recorder UDO
DATA
market segments 1 1 2,3,4 2,3,4
15
1-layer capacity (GB) 15 (RO)/20 (RW) 25 23.3
(each disc side)
2-layer capacity (GB) 30 (RO)/32 (RW) 50 NA NA
RO (TBD)
media types RO/RW WO/RW WO/RW
RW
phase change phase change phase change
rewritable media type phase change
(10,000 cycles) (10,000 cycles) (10,000 cycles)
2-4 write (with
9 write
data rate (MBps) 8.5 8.5 verification)
11 read
4-8
110 (CAV)
seek time (msec) ? ? 25
280 (CLV)
file format micro-UDF BD proprietary BD proprietary per ECMA 350
disc diameter (mm) 120 120 120 130
thickness (mm) 0.6 x 2 1.2 1.2 1.2 x 2
wavelength (nm) 405 405 405 405
NA 0.65 0.85 0.85 0.70
modulation code ETM (1,7)PP (1,7)PP (1,7)RLL
read channel PRML PRML PRML PRML
track pitch (nm) 40 320 320 370/400
track density (tpi) 63,500 79,375 79,375 68,649 (max)
min. mark length (nm) 204 149 160 314
recording density (bpi) 182,677 226,772 211,653 107,795
areal density (Gb/in2) 11.6 18 16.8 7.4
first shipment (2005) July 2004 November 2003 October 2003
2,995 (int)
drive price (US$) TBD 2,800 3000
3,299 (ext)
35 (25 GB RW) 60 (30 GB WO)
media price (US$) TBD 45
70 (50 GB RW) 75 (30 GB RW)
Sony 19" rack
ODL No No Plasmon G-Series
mount
3rd party software TBD TBD Yes Yes

Figure 1: The LG Electronics DVD Super Multi drive (Model GSA-4210B), which
incorporates DVD+/-RW and DVD-RAM, DVD+/-R (DL), DVD-ROM, CD-R/-
RW, and CD-ROM functionality; price on the Internet is less than $100 (source:
Hitachi LG).
Figure 2: The Plasmon UDO 5.25" HH internal drive and 30 GB WO and RW phase change
disc cartridge family (source: Plasmon Plc.).

Figure 3: The Sony Professional Disc for DATA (PDD) internal and external drive models and
23 GB disc cartridge (source: Sony Corp.).
Figure 4: The Fujitsu GIGAMO 3.5" drive and 2.3 GB ISO MO disc cartridge (source: Fujitsu
Ltd.).

3 MARKET PROFILE
Like its product and technology mix, optical storage markets and marketing data are complex. To
simplify the analysis, market segments 1 and 2 (CE and PC/workstation) and market segments 3
and 4 (professional and enterprise) are logically grouped together. As the following analysis
shows, the total worldwide ex-factory value of the optical storage market for the last complete
year (2003) is roughly $24.4 billion11. These revenues were generated primarily by the sales of
174.2 million drives and 17.2 billion discs (of all types). A summary of units and revenues is
given in Table 3.
To aid the understanding of how optical storage revenues are generated, Tables 4 and 5 were
created using published market data. Table 4 is a summary of worldwide shipments and forecasts
for mainstream optical disc drives shipping in 2003 and 2004. Table 5 provides an overview of
worldwide shipments and forecasts, respectively, for WO and RW optical media for 2003 and
2004.
Figure 5 (provided by Iomega Corp. at CES 2002) shows shipments and forecasts in millions of
units for primary CD/DVD drive types over the period 2001-2007. A more recent graphic
published in Medialine (May/June 2004) illustrates in Figure 6 the shifting percent market shares
of CD, DVD, and Blue Laser drives over the period 2003-2010. Finally, Figure 7 summarizes
shipments and forecasts for replicated (RO) media of all types; these data compliment the
WO/RW media data of Table 5.
The CE and PC/workstation market segments for 2003 can be broken down into RO and
WO/RW components. At the end of 2003, the worldwide installed base of CD/DVD drives was
about 500 million units. The RO component (CD-DA/CD-ROM, VCD/SuperVCD, and DVD-
ROM/-Video) estimate is comprised of 169 million drives and 17 billion replicated discs, with
ex-factory (generally, FOB somewhere in Asia; also called OEM pricing) revenues of $4.2
billion and $8.5 billion, respectively (total of $12.7 billion12). The WO/RW component (DVD+/-
R/RW, DVD-RAM) estimate is comprised of 19.1 million drives and 469 million blank discs,
with ex-factory revenues of $7.4 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively (total of $10 billion13).
Total ex-factory revenues for market segments 1 and 2 (all CD/DVD products) are thus $22.7
billion. This represents about 92.9% of total optical storage revenues.
In 2003, 4.25 billion CD-DA and 3.26 billion DVD-Video "titles" were manufactured. This
generated estimated retail revenues of $25 billion and $12 billion, respectively14. To this can be
added an additional $4.3 billion for DVD-Video disc rentals15. A market of this size helps
explain the fierce competition for CE optical media IP and the subsequent licensing fees and
royalties they yield.
11
Another roughly $60 million of ex-factory revenues is generated by the sale of roughly 15,000 ODLs of all types.
12
Calculated by the ADVENT Group using various public domain sources (see Tables 2 and 3 for primary sources).
13
Source: Santa Clara Consulting Group published in EMedia, May 2004, p.9.
14
No precise relationship exists between discs manufactured and discs sold at retail. A ratio in the range of 2:1 to 4:1
is often applicable. The $24.8 billion revenue number does not contain any retail components.
15
Source: Medialine, January 2004, p.9.

Interestingly, even though unit sales are increasing in these market segments, ex-factory pricing
tends to decrease almost equally fast. This tends to keep worldwide revenues growing relatively
slowly, as older products exit the market and newer ones take their place, but are unable to
prevent fairly rapid price erosion. Optical storage revenues tend to increase in "quantum"
amounts, much like capacity.
MD (MiniDisc) is primarily a CE portable audio product, although pure data storage versions
exist. For various reasons MD will be treated separately. MD is very popular in Japan (75%
market share) for reasons of size, sound quality (the ATRAC compression method is superior to
MP3), and rewritable (MO) media (replicated audio discs are also available). Both OEM and CE
after market revenues are generated. As a captive technology, price erosion is much slower than
in the case of CD/DVD. In 2003, about 3.7 million drives and 218 million media were shipped.
Assuming "equivalent" average ex-factory prices of $80 for drives and $4 for media, the
approximate revenues are $0.296 billion for drives and $0.872 for media, or total ex-factory
revenues of $1.17 billion . This represents about 4.8% of total optical storage revenues.
The 3.5" ISO MO product line will also be treated separately. According to IDC, the installed
base of 3.5" MO drives is about 11.5 million units, the installed base of MO disc cartridges is
about 120 million units, and annual sales were about 1.5 million drive units and 19.4 million
media units (all data through 2003). More than 75% of the market is in Asia (mainly, Japan); the
North American market is less than 10%. Based on approximate average OEM selling prices
($180 for drives and $12 for media), the 2003 ex-factory revenues were about $270 million and
$234 million, respectively. Total ex-factory sales were thus roughly $514 million. This
represents about 2.1% of total optical storage revenues.
Large-format optical disc storage (market segments 3 and 4) is defined for 2003 (and subsequent
years) only by 5.25" form factor, 130mm diameter disc drives and media. This definition
includes ISO MO (5.2 GB and 9.1 GB) and UDO. Also included in the definition are ODLs,
software, repair/maintenance, consulting and integration services, and other related products.
From a peak of 250,000 drives in 1995, 5.25" MO drive sales have declined to 75,000 units in
2002 (according to IDC), about 20,000 in 2003 (estimate), and fewer than 10,000 in 2004
(forecast). It is produced only by Sony, and then on a limited basis for a limited time. The basic
technology can support much higher capacities, but drive and media manufacturing complexity
increases and yields decrease, make an already relatively expensive product line even more
expensive. Phase change media is the better choice, as exemplified by UDO. Hence, 5.25" ISO
MO drives have clearly reached the end of their product life (media will to be available for the
foreseeable future). Factoring in the 1.7 million 5.25" ISO MO media sold in 2003 (according to
Japan Recording Media Industries Association), 5.25" MO generated about $47 million in
revenues. This revenue stream is expected to decline, and will ultimately represent only media
sales.
12" WORM drive revenues are assumed negligible. Only about 300 12" WORM drives were
sold in 2002 (total market value of the entire product line was about $20 million). 100, or fewer,
drives were sold in 2003. However, media, service, and consulting revenues were sufficient to
keep the product line alive through 2003 and into 2004. Clearly, the first shipments of UDO
drives in late 2003 made the high-priced 12" WORM product line ($18,500 drives and $600

media) obsolete and redundant. Only Plasmon knows for sure what its 12" WORM sales were in
2003. An approximation is was derived as follows: 150 drives, 150x12 (new drive burn
rate)=1,800 media, and 2000 (active installed base)x5 (prior year drives burn rate)=10,000
media; thus, 150 drives and 11,800 media. Using an equivalent ex-factory price (the ratio of
Plasmon's direct to OEM sales is unknown) of $6,000 for drives and $400 for media, the total
revenues in 2003 are about $0.9 million and $4.7 million respectively; the total is $5.6 million.
This represents only about 0.023% of ex-factory revenues.
The market for UDO products is, of course, difficult to predict at this time. Revenue generation
for 2003 is assumed negligible. The keys to success in the future will be reliability, rational
capacity growth, and support; only time will establish if these criteria have been satisfied.
Plasmon will no doubt focus on it core markets, particularly those requiring WO media and ODL
solutions. Competitive storage technologies (both magnetic and optical) may offer either better
price or better performance, but UDO will generally offer a better compromise for professional
and enterprise applications. Moreover, Dell and other PC manufacturers have also expressed an
interest in integrating UDO drives into their high-end PCs and workstations. Based on these
factors, an IDC worldwide forecast for 2007 may prove accurate; it predicts:
Ø Worldwide UDO drive sales of 75,000 units and revenues of $90 million
Ø An installed base of 200,000 UDO drives
Ø $90 million in ODL sales, and
Ø $75 million in UDO media sales.
For 2003, the best end user revenue estimates for the total professional and data center market
segments (market segments 3 and 4) are from a low range of $125-200 million to a high range of
$250-400 million. Even the most optimistic revenue number ($400 million) represents only a
1.64% share of total ex-factory optical storage revenues. In these market segments, however, unit
drive sales may be small, but the value add is generally significant. The advent of shipping UDO
and other blue laser products will likely drive significant revenue growth for many years to
come, thereby greatly increasing the revenue share of market segments 3 and 4. For companies
that dominate these segments, the business can be very profitable.

Figure 5: Actual and forecasted CD and DVD hardware unit shipments from 2001 to 2007
(source: Iomega Corp.; Roy, UT).
Figure 6: Percent shipments of CD, DVD, and Blue Laser hardware units in the period 2003-
2010 (source: Strategic Marketing Decisions in Mediaware, May/June 2004, p.36).

Figure 7: CD/DVD replication units (RO discs) for the period 2002-2004 (source: IRMA
website).

Table 3:
Optical Storage Shipments and Ex-Factory Revenues16
Product Drives Discs Total Revenues

(millions of units) (millions of units) (US$ millions)
169 17,000 22,700

All CD/DVD
(97%) (98.6%) (92.9%)
3.7 218 1,170
MiniDisc
(2.1%) (1.3%) (4.8%)
1.5 19.4 514
3.5" ISO MO
(0.86%) (0.1%) (2.1%)
0.02 1.7 47
5.25" ISO MO
(<< 1%) (<< 1%) (<< 1%)
(150 units) (13,800 units) 6.4
12" WORM
(<< 1%) (<< 1%) (<< 1%)
174.2 17,239.1 24,435.8

Totals
(100%) (100%) (100%)
16
Data analyzed and table compiled by The ADVENT Group, using data from various sources, including CEA,
Gartner, IDC, Instat/MDR, IRMA, JEI, Medialine, MMIS, and Santa Clara Consulting Group). Quantities are in
millions of units, except as noted for low volume products.

Table 4:
Optical Drive Shipments and Forecasts (millions of units)17
2003 2004 Market Comments

Type
Shipments Forecasts Trend
Lowest cost component for entry-

level PCs. Most sub-$500 come
Declining standard with a CD-ROM drive
CD-ROM 58 45
demand that can be profitably upgraded to
a CD-R/CD-RW or CD-RW/DVD
combo drive.
Next lowest cost component for
entry-level PCs. Most $500-1,000
Stable come standard with a CD-R/CD-
CD-R/CD-RW 67 71
demand RW drive that can be profitably
upgraded to a CD-RW/DVD
combo or DVD recordable drive.
VCD/SuperVCD is mainly an Asian
mainland product. It plays MPEG-1
Declining
VCD/SuperVCD 68 58 quality video (often pirated DVD
demand
movies), and is very inexpensive.
DVD players are slowly displacing.
A low-cost CD-ROM alternative for
entry-level PCs. Most $500-750
Declining come standard with a DVD-ROM
DVD-ROM 43 46
demand drive that can be profitably
upgraded to a CD-RW/DVD
combo or DVD recordable drive.
A very popular CE product and the
main user of DVD-Video discs.
Prices in the US have fallen to less
DVD-Video Increasing
78 92 than $50 for entry-level devices.
Players (RO) demand
Third world demand will keep this
product in demand for at least the
next 5 years.
The next wave CE product. With
prices in the US falling below $300
DVD-Video Rapidly for entry level products, the era of
Recorders 4.1 11.5 increasing the VCR may end sooner than
(WO/RW) demand thought. BD and HD DVD HDTV
recorders are displacing products,
but not for at least 3 years.
Mainly, a computer storage
product for PCs and workstations.
Rapidly May become the primary optical
Recordable
15 28 increasing drive, if OEM prices fall below $80.
DVD (WO/RW)
demand Despite the blue laser hype, this
product category has a 3-5 year
strong sales growth potential.
17
Data analyzed and table compiled by The ADVENT Group, using data from various sources, including CEA,
Gartner, IDC, Instat/MDR, IRMA, JEI, Medialine, MMIS, and Santa Clara Consulting Group). Quantities are in
millions of units, except as noted for very low-volume products.

This group includes PDD, HD
Blue Laser
Rapidly DVD, and all other blue-laser
(120mm) phase
250-500 units 5,000 units increasing optical storage products.
change - all
demand Shipments will probably ramp up in
types
late 2005 or early 2006.
The introduction of Hi-MD may
increase sales significantly. In
Japan, MD Audio is the preferred
Moderate portable music player. High-MD
MD/Hi-MD 3.7 4.2
demand has the potential to be the floppy
replacement that CD-RW never
was, but current pricing levels are
too high.
A stable, robust HHD-like product
with a near capacity potential of 4-
3.5" (86mm) ISO Moderate 6 GB. A new product
1.5 1.7
MO demand announcement and better US
marketing is needed to sustain this
product line.
A stable, robust HHD-like product
Rapidly that has reached the end of its
5.25" (130mm) 15-20,000 8-10,000
decreasing technology life. It will probably be
ISO MO units units
demand entirely displaced by UDO in less
than 3 years.
Following a delayed ramp up in
late 2003 and early 2004, the
5.25" (130mm) Rapidly
product line is now in reasonably
UDO phase 100-250 units 5-10,000 units increasing
stable production, as of late 2Q
change demand
2004. HP and IBM are expected to
be the principal OEM customers.
A very expensive technology with
12" (300mm) Essentially a great past, but no future. It will
WORM phase 25-100 units 10-50 units no longer in be replaced by UDO. The media
change production and service business components
will survive for at least 3 years.

Table 5:
WO and RW Optical Media Shipments and Forecasts (millions of units)18
2003 2004 Market Comments

Type
Shipments Forecasts Trend
Anti-piracy initiatives have slowed
Audio CD-R 285 301 5.6% growth market growth. US is the largest
consumer (63%).
The impact of Hi-MD not factored
Audio MD 218 205 6% decrease in. 85% of discs made in Japan.
75% of discs consumed in Japan.
Still the most successful optical disc
Data CD-R 8,000 8,680 8.5% growth type. Outsells CD-RW by about a
25:1 ratio.
Still not accepted as the "floppy disk
replacement." Low-cost CD-R discs
CD-RW 327 353 8% growth
and portable Flash drives are seen
by end users as the better solution.
Average selling price over $2 (8-
10x more expensive than CD-R).
Recordable Cost per MB will approach CD-R
379 862 127% growth
DVD (WO) levels in less than 2 years. 100
million units will be used for video
recording.
85% of discs made in Japan.
Recordable DVD+/-R outsells DVD+/-RW by a
90 187 108% growth
DVD (RW) 4:1 ratio. 57 million units will be
used for video recording.
Japan accounts for 93% of
worldwide demand, which peaked
10.8%
3.5" (86mm) MO 19.4 17.3 in 2000. Mainly an after market
decrease
product. Needs a capacity increase
to at least 4.7 GB.
Primarily an ODL product (some
workstation applications, including
medical image processing). AIT and
5.25" (130mm) 11.8%
1.7 1.5 DLT magnetic tape and newer
MO decrease
optical products with much higher
capacities, such as UDO and PDD,
are seen as better solutions.
18
Data analyzed and table compiled by The ADVENT Group, using data from the Japan Recording Media Industries
Association (JRMIA), dated November 26, 2003.

4 OPTICAL STORAGE ROADMAPS
This section has been redesigned to reflect the current and evolving status of optical storage
technology, products, markets, and plans for future development. Much has changed over the
past two years, especially in the areas of advanced technologies, components, and media
manufacturing.
The optical storage roadmap includes all optical storage products that are defined, planned, or
can be extrapolated; specifically optical disc drives and holographic memory systems. CD/DVD
media are firmly standardized (Sony-Philips and the DVD Forum, respectively); hence, no
changes in capacity are possible. CD/DVD are therefore not included in the 2005-20015
roadmaps. Optical tape (limited development activity; no shipping products) and optical card (a
highly specialized optical medium with only 4 MB capacity, which is in real danger of being
supplanted by Flash memory cards) are not included. China’s EVD19 (enhanced versatile or
video disc) is included; it first shipped in 1Q 2004. EVD is essentially more efficient DVD-5 and
DVD-9 implementations, which still use an optical head with a 650nm laser and a 0.60 NA. Also
included is DMD (Digital MultiDisc; formerly FMD = Fluorescent Multilayer Disc), which is
deemed to be one of the most promising multilayer technologies. No products are shipping
today, but at least one is likely to in the near future.
The diversity and complexity of optical storage drives and media and the evolution of new
technologies to maintain capacity growth makes a generic roadmap of minimal usefulness.
Moreover, optical storage is not magnetic storage using lasers, despite the similarities. For CD
and DVD optical storage, media capacity is the primary focus. Data rates are application specific
for many CE applications. Access times are not a particular concern, because many CD and
DVD applications write and read in serial streaming fashion. The additional manufacturing cost
in a relatively low margin business has never been judged worth it. The same is true for Blu-ray
and HD DVD disc.
For the majority of MO and phase change drive and media optical storage, the design philosophy
differs somewhat, although the emphasis is still on disc capacity. However, data rates are more
important and generally not application specific (these devices can be considered generic
computer storage peripherals). Access times tend to be 5-10 times faster than for CD and DVD
drives. Reliability is (or must be) significantly better. The trade off is higher pricing (2.3 GB 3.5"
ISO MO drive costs $250-300; 9.1 GB 5.25" ISO MO drive costs $1,500-2,000).
Tables 6 and 7 show the anticipated capacity growth of the various market segments of optical
storage devices during the period 2005-2015. The period 2005-2009 is defined as "next-
generation;" the period 2010-2015 is defined as "future." Data rates will increase with increasing
recording (bit) density. Access times will not improve significantly, unless a currently unknown
"killer application" is discovered that requires the additional cost and complexity.
19
EVD is more about engineering improvements than new technology. Instead of MPEG-2, the On2 Technologies
(New York, NY) EP6 codec is used for compression/decompression. Lower bit rate permits two hours of HDTV
playback, but at lower quality; this approach is also about 10x less expensive. Put in context, the Chinese market
of over 1 billion people has accepted VCD versions of DVD movies for many years; EVD would be an
improvement. However, many consider this a means by China to circumvent licenses fees and royalties for DVD
and MPEG-2 (which today account for about 20% of ex-factory DVD pricing). Finally, China now manufactures
about 80% of all DVD units, which gives it the capability to do what it chooses.

Although the tables should be self explanatory, some comments are nevertheless in order. The
term "blue" indicates that a blue-violet laser diode is used for writing and reading. The
technology generally may or may not be a BD derivative (at least not officially; there are
licensing/royalties and compatibility issues). As a general rule, if a public domain roadmap is
published, it is the controlling authority - unless valid technology and/or manufacturing issues
are known that make the roadmap too aggressive or irrational to be sustained (or, in some cases,
just a marketing document)20. Notice that PDD and UDO generations are designated 1-4; this is
to avoid confusion when more that one generation occurs in the same time period. A separate
comparison of Sony's PDD and Plasmon's UDO optical storage roadmaps is given in Table 8;
this is company data without interpretation (except for 4th generation products, which are
extrapolated). If roadmaps are not published in the public domain, reasonable models consistent
with industry trends are used to predict future products (for example, DataPlay Blue and 3.5"
MO Blue). The future generation roadmap implicitly assumes the success of quad layer optical
discs. First-generation ultraviolet optical storage could be shipping before 2015.
Some of the component and device technologies needed to achieve the projections of the
roadmaps are discussed next.
4.1 Advanced Technologies Supporting the Roadmap

Increases in optical data storage capacity over the past 22 years (measuring from 1982, the year
CD-DA was introduced) have mainly depended on laser diodes with ever shorter wavelengths
and the use of objective lenses with ever larger numerical apertures. The numerical aperture
(NA) of a lens is a measure of resolving power (larger NAs result in smaller laser spots). The
laser spot sized used for writing and reading is proportional to wavelength/NA. Storage density,
in turn, is proportional to [NA/wavelength]2. Figure 8 illustrates the evolution in wavelength and
spot size for CD, DVD, HD DVD, and BD.
In the 1980s and early 1990s optical storage engineers made effective use of infrared laser diodes
with wavelengths in the 750-790nm range (780nm being typical). With the advent of the DVD
standard in 1995, laser diodes with wavelengths in the 635-690nm range were required (650nm
for most DVD drives; 635nm for DVD-R authoring). The requirements for HDTV distribution
and recording mandated a migration to "blue-green" laser diodes. In the end, Nichia proved that
stable and reliable blue-violet laser diodes emitting at 405nm were feasible and manufacturable.
These laser diodes are the basis for next-generation (2005-2009 time frame) and most future
(2010-2015) optical data storage. Figure 9 shows one of several useful GaN laser diode
architectures21.
20
Some company roadmaps and product announcements seem premature from a business perspective. After
investing over $100 million to develop DVD products(recordable and rewritable, in particular), which have a large
and quantifiable market, why is the industry so eager to displace them with an HDTV-capable product, which is
likely to have only a small market for the next 3 years, or more? No doubt, blue laser optical storage is the future;
timing is the issue.
21
Although a sapphire substrate is shown in the schematic, the trend is to use GaN substrates. This improves device
yields and lowers costs. Also, while 405nm is the sweet spot, blue laser diodes emitting in the range 400-450nm
are feasible; efficiency, cost, and yield are the primary materials selection criteria.

Some of the most interesting means of increasing optical storage capacity in the future are
summarized below. Several are proven at the R&D level or prototype level, some are still rather
theoretical. Some can be used separately, others must be used in combination.
Ø Multilayer – Dual layer (DL) DVD has been proven for DVD-9, DVD-18 and DVD+/-R
DL. IBM has shown that more than 20 layers are possible for read-only media. Constellation
3D (now D Data) has demonstrated 720p HDTV playback for a 6-layer fluorescent
multilayer disc (now called DMD, or Digital Multilayer Disc) at MediaTech 2004. No
rewritable dual-layer product is currently in production, but the feasibility for phase change
media has been demonstrated (MO media is more complex, and may not yield a multilayer
solution). For future optical storage media, the next challenge is quad layer (per surface).
Laboratory work indicates that quad layers for RO media and possibly WO media are
feasible. The issue is more complex for RW media, and remains the subject of intense
research. Quad layers will undoubtedly be a challenge for replicators and media
manufacturers. Multilayer designs only improve total disc capacity (storage densities are
actually reduced by about 10% for dual layer recordable DVD). Access times will be longer
(owing to objective lens repositioning) and data rates will decrease (owing to somewhat
lower bit densities).
Ø Multilevel (ML) – When a data storage channel has sufficient margins and signal-to-noise
ratio, coding marks can be used to store log2N bits, where N is the number of distinguishable
reflection levels (for example, N=8 yields theoretically 3 bits/mark). Calimetrics (Alameda,
CA; now a division of LSI Logic) pioneered ML optical data storage and developed the
DSPs and algorithms for CD (pit depth modulation) and CD-R/-RW (area modulation); about
2.5 bits/mark was obtained. TDK (Tokyo, Japan) developed CD-R/CD-RW drives and discs
of this type with a nominal 2 GB capacity disc that were compatible with Philips-Sony
Red/Yellow book standard CD media. Unfortunately, DVD had entered the optical storage
mainstream by then, minimizing the need for ML applied to CD products. Calimetrics has
adapted its technology to DVD (34 GB per surface has been demonstrated in cooperation
with Philips), but no products using this technology are shipping. The upside of ML is (1) a
significant capacity and data rate gain at the cost of a sophisticated DSP chip and (2) the
ability to use it with other density-enhancing methods. The downside of ML at DVD, and
higher, densities is the need for a higher performance, more expensive read channel
(particularly, error detection and correction coding) and higher quality media.
Ø Near Field Recording (NFR) – If the medium between the laser spot-forming objective
lens and the optical medium is air, the maximum value of NA is 1. NFR optical recording
and reading is enabled by the use of NAs greater than 1. Evanescent wave coupling is the
mechanism. Typically, NFR can be implemented with a solid immersion lens (SIL)
positioned after the objective lens and in close proximity to the optical medium (head-disc
spacings similar to those of magnetic disk drives). Liquid immersion lenses are currently
used for immersion lithography and advanced optical disc mastering. NA=2.5 for RO media
and NA=1.6 for WO/RW media can be achieved in the laboratory. This corresponds to
capacity increases of about 9x and 4x, respectively. Whether this is practical for optical data
storage devices with removable media is another matter. RO media should work; WO and
RW media will be more challenging.
Ø Magneto-Optical (MO) – Although fading in the market place, MO technology has several
means for achieving very high storage densities. The best known are MSR (Magnetically
induced Super Resolution; used for current 3.5" MO drives), MAMMOS (Magnetically

AMplifying MO System), SuperRENS (Super Resolution Near-field System), and DWDD
(Domain Wall Displacement Detection; used for Hi-MD). From the theoretical and
laboratory perspective, all are fascinating optical storage technologies. However, as a
practical matter, implementation of drive and media are more complex and expensive than
those based on phase change media. Given the emphasis on perpendicular recording for next-
generation magnetic disc drives and the expected new technology development, it may too
soon to write MO's obituary.
Ø 3D Holographic – Page-oriented optical data storage that "stacks" multiple holograms in a
common recording medium volume has been under development for over 40 years.
Component and storage media expense and availability have long been the bane of this
technology. Over the past several years, however, InPhase Technology (Boulder, CO) and
Optware (Tokyo, Japan) have developed 130mm-disc format holographic data storage (HDS)
systems that are set to ship initially in 2005 (both companies are concentrating on the
professional A/V market – for example, nonlinear editing and archiving). Figures 9 and 10
show the companies’ prototype drives and media. InPhase Technologies plans to begin
shipments of its Tapestry HDS-200R drive and HDS 3000 disc family to integrators in the
second half of 2005; volume shipments are planned for mid 2006. Disc capacity will be 200
GB and the data rate will be 160 Mbps. A blue-violet laser is used for write/read. The drive
has an approximate 5.25" full height form factor (the drive has lengths of 11 inches and 17
inches, the former being used for optical disc library applications). The primary sales channel
will be OEM. Hardware pricing will be in the $7,000-10,000 range; disc cartridge prices will
be in the $50 range. Optware plans first shipments sometime in 3Q 2005. The Optware
system will have a 19-inch rack mount (RM) form factor. Disc capacity will be 200 GB and
data rate will be 100 Mbps. A green laser will be used for write/read and a red laser for
servoing and address read. Future systems will use blue-violet lasers for write/read.
Hardware pricing will be in the $18,000-30,000 range. Both companies are aiming to achieve
more than 1 TB cartridge capacity. Pictures of prototype products are shown in Figures 10
and 11. Optware makes media testers and InPhase supplies HDS media; the companies work
cooperatively in these areas. Finally, Aprilis, Hitachi, IBM, Mitsubishi, Pioneer, Sanyo,
Sony, and more than 10 other companies worldwide are also doing holographic memory
R&D; no product announcements at his date.
Ø Ultraviolet (UV) Laser Diodes – If optical data storage is to continue increasing capacity
by means of laser diodes with wavelengths shorter than 405nm, ultraviolet devices must be
developed. Nichia has shown the way with initial shipments of a 1 mW laser diode emitting
at 375nm. No one knows at this time knows if laser diodes with even shorter UV
wavelengths are feasible (very low efficiency LEDs with operating wavelengths in the 275-
280nm range have been recently demonstrated). Another option is to frequency double
650nm or 405nm laser diode output to achieve a 325nm or 202.5nm wavelength (size and
cost are the pacing factors). Doubling capacity (all other design parameters unchanged)
requires a wavelength decrease to 286nm from 405nm. Even if this were achievable, optical
engineers are well aware of the materials challenges. Optics and recording media are
particularly difficult. Thus, it should be no surprise that means are being sought to extend the
technology life of 405nm wavelength optical storage.
Ø Mastering and Replication Systems (MARS) – For the largest optical data storage
market segment (Consumer Electronics), MARS is the pacing factor. For recordable and
rewritable media manufacturing, mastering and substrate molding determine manufacturing
feasibility. Manufacturers of MARS have made significant progress over the past 3 years,

and are now positioned to supply equipment for mastering, replicating, and testing Blu-ray
and other next-generation optical media. All processes are now fully servoed and temperature
controlled. A new mastering method for BD, called phase transition mastering (PTM), has
been developed that uses a silicon (Si) wafer for the substrate and yields up to 10 stampers.
Quality, cost, and durability are said to be comparable to or better than conventional masters.
Examples of stampers capable of 35-50 GB per surface were shown at MediaTech 2004 (the
industry trade show) that were cut using 257nm wavelength laser light (obtained by
frequency doubling the 514nm output of an Argon-ion laser). Laboratory research has
demonstrated the feasibility of replicating read-only media up to 200 GB per surface and
manufacturing recordable/rewritable media up to 100 GB per surface. Real challenges to disc
replication and manufacturing come with quad layer designs, especially for WO and RW
media. Future mastering system will use UV laser light with even shorter wavelengths (for
example, a frequency doubled 405nm laser diode to achieve 202.5nm) and (localized) liquid
immersion NFR recording.
Ø Throughput Enhancements – Optical disc drive access times are slow compared to
magnetic disk drives. For example, access times for CD and DVD drives is typically in the
100-200 ms range (a consequence of the CLV constant areal density method and coarse/fine
tracking). Blu-ray and other advanced optical storage technologies won’t improve this much.
The reason is simple to understand: a significant majority of writes or reads to a CD or DVD
disc involve large files, which include images, databases, software and digital audio or video.
In fact, CD and DVD drives are optimized for sequential serial write and read typical of
consumer electronics and software distribution applications. Access time is generally not an
important factor. Data rates for CD, DVD, and Blu-ray or HD DVD are based on specific
consumer electronics application requirements (music, SDTV, and HDTV). The product
introductory data rates are 1.2, 11, and 36 Mbps, respectively. Since bit density is set by
standards, higher data rates can only be obtained by spinning the disc faster (for example,
52x CD and 16x DVD) or by parallel write/read (multiple heads per surface). Rotation speed
is limited to about 10,000 rpm. Parallel read was implemented by Kenwood Technologies
(San Jose, CA) based on the inventions of Zen Technologies (Cupertino, CA), and achieved
the equivalent of 72x speed for a CD drive. Unfortunately, the product was unreliable and
many were recalled. No optical disc drive products currently ship with multiple heads per
surface; none appear to be planned. MO and holographic storage systems have the potential
for faster access times, but typical applications (local backup, archiving, or near-line storage)
don’t require it, especially if optical disc libraries are used. Data transfer rates are high
enough for these same types of applications. In summary, the majority of development funds
for both CE and computer optical storage will likely be focused on capacity growth, not
throughput.
Ø Variable Focus Lens (VFL) – Both practical multilayer and NFR optical data storage
systems can be better enabled by the use of electronically variable focus lenses. Positioning
speed and resolution and servoing accuracy could be greatly improved compared to an
electromechanical means of positioning. Philips (Eindhoven, The Netherlands) has recently
announced the development of the FluidFocus system, primarily intended for digital camera
and other consumer electronics (and, possibly, lithographic) applications. However, the
implementation of FluidFocus technology appears readily scalable to optical write/read head
dimensions. Figure 12 illustrates the technology and a digital camera lens prototype. Fuji
Photo Film is also developing a family of VFLs for camera applications. Varioptic (Lyon,
France) has IP in this area, but no known products for optical storage (however, the company

has warned Philips it plans to enforce its patents). Although not as versatile, Konica (Tokyo,
Japan) has developed a electro-mechanically actuated VFL designed for Blu-ray disc drive
optical heads. Regardless of the type of future optical storage technology, variable focus lens
(and dynamic aberration correction) will likely be required to write and read ML optical
discs.
Ø Negative Refraction – The vast majority of optical materials are right handed
(electromagnetically speaking) and have a positive refractive index. Lenses made from these
materials (for example, glass or plastic) consequently act in a classical manner (for example,
they image). Over the past 36 years, several left hand materials that have a negative
refractive index have been discovered. An objective lens made of a material of this type
would capture evanescent near-field optical (Fourier) components, resulting in optical
write/read spots that are smaller than the diffraction limit. Although controversial and not yet
proven beyond basic laboratory experiments, negative refraction lenses may someday
provide a more practical alternative to NFR for super resolution.
Ø Photonic Sieve – Spot formation for extreme UV or X-ray wavelengths is nearly
impossible with classical lenses. Mirror systems are better, but have their own limitations.
Neither are suitable for future optical disc drives or disc mastering systems. The photonic
sieve may be a practical solution. It outputs a spot with a slim profile and minimized side
lobes (that is, a well-focused spot without the usual characteristic of the classical Airy disc).
The advantage of the photonic sieve is shown in Figure 13a and b. Essentially, a super
resolved spot is formed by an optical mask with thousands of small apertures, randomly
arranged to equalize the phases of the many optical paths so that maximum positive
interference occurs at a central point and is nearly suppressed elsewhere. The spot size is
smaller than the smallest aperture. One example is a 0.1mm diameter mask with about 5,000
30nm apertures for use with 6nm wavelength X-ray lasers.
4.2 Key Component Attributes

The equipment roadmaps are supported by the inclusion of critical component/subsystem
roadmaps dealing with the elements of optical storage equipment unique to the industry. The
component/subsystem roadmaps included in the roadmap section are: (1) optical heads, (2)
electronics, (3) optical media, and (4) lasers. Key attributes of these component/subsystems are
shown in Table 9. The achievement of the performance attributes, as forecast in the product
roadmaps, is dependent on meeting the performance objectives at the component/subsystem
level.
Ø Optical Heads
The optical head subsystem typically consists of a semiconductor laser, laser beam shaping
optics, focusing optics, actuators for maintaining the focused beam on the recorded track in both
the focus and tracking directions, and spot position detection means (photodetector array). These
operate in conjunction with a servo system to maintain both focus and tracking of the optical spot
within acceptable error limits. Polarization detection is required for reading MO discs. DVD
drives require more complicated heads because they must read both DVD and CD. The
difference in optical path (product of index of polycarbonate times 0.6 mm or 1.2 mm thickness,
respectively) requires slightly different lenses, the addition of a grating component, or a single
variable lens. In addition, some CD-R discs cannot be read with a red laser with a wavelength of
650 nm. Thus, most DVD drives have two lasers and objective lenses. The optical head’s
parameters for write or read are determined and set during initialization for both CD and DVD

discs. Blue laser optical heads will be even more complex, but designs already exist for writing
and reading CD, DVD, and BD in a single "super-multi" optical drive.
Ø Electronics
The electronics components/subsystems consist of the servo control chips, laser drivers, the
write/read channel (primarily, data encode and decode, error detection and correction algorithms,
and signal processing), and, the I/O interface (EIDE is the most common implementation, but
SCSI-2 is also used for MO and UDO drives). All of these electronic components or chip sets are
mounted on a printed circuit main board, generally called a "controller," which is mounted on the
optical drive OMA.
Ø Optical Media
Optical media generally means a bare optical disc (for tray loading or center clamping drives) or
an optical disc enclosed in a plastic shell, called a cartridge. The disc itself consists of a
transparent optical quality substrate with either a spatial pattern of optically discernible marks in
the case of RO (replicated) discs or a recording layer that is markable with a focused laser spot in
the case of WO/RW discs. These discs are 1.2mm thick. In some designs, such as DVD and HD
DVD, two plastic 0.6mm substrates are laminated back to back to form a 1.2mm thick two-sided
media unit. Some two-sided discs are 2.4mm thick; for example, 5.25-inch ISO MO and phase
change media. BD uses a 1.19mm thick substrate and a 0.1mm cover layer (near-front surface
write/read); the substrate, uniquely, is not part of the optical path.
Ø Lasers
The laser subsystem consists typically of a semiconductor laser diode (LD), driver electronics,
thermal control feedback loop, and associated packaging. Primary LD wavelengths are 780nm
(CD), 650nm (DVD), and 405nm (BD). These diodes are the CW (continuous wave) type
operated typically at 20-30% duty cycle. CW powers range from 1-2 mW (read-only
applications) to over 100 mW (WO and RW discs require 8-12 mW CW power at the disc to
write; also, higher X-speed ratings require proportionally higher LD power). LDs are wafer scale
manufactured, diced, and packaged in various type of containers. Statistical quality control is
used to avoid testing each device. The next challenge for LDs is reliable UV operation at powers
exceeding 25 mW for WO and RW media.
Ø Copy Protection and Compression

Although not a component or subsystem of an optical drive in the broadest sense, both copy
protection and compression are important issues for optical storage, particularly for CE
applications. Copy protection is usually implemented by a cooperative effort (electronically)
between the disc being read and the drive reading it. Its goal is to prevent simplistic one-to-one
copying and, more importantly, to prevent pirates from gaining access to the digital signal
representing the disc content. Given the level of claimed revenue losses, it didn't work out that
well for DVD-Video discs. Blue laser HDTV players and recorders will probably have a stronger
128-bit code to help eliminate unauthorized copying (both BD and HD DVD camps are
cooperating on this goal, a strong demand of Hollywood). More efficient and less expensive
compression is needed to compensate for a possible "no-growth in disc capacity" scenario
(405nm blue wavelength and 0.85 NA limitations). The goal is to obtain HDTV quality video at
the lowest possible average bit rate. New requirements for both copy protection and compression
methods will generate opportunities for firmware and chip development and manufacturing.

Table 6: Near-Term Roadmap
Optical Disc Storage Products – Next Generation (2005-2009)
Form Disc Type/ Capacity Write/Read First Market

Product Name
Factor Diameter (mm) (GB) Options Shipments Segments
replicated &
AOD/
5.25" HH phase change/ 15/20 RO/RW 2005 1,2
HD DVD
120mm
AOD/ replicated &
HD DVD 5.25" HH phase change/ 30/32 RO/RW 2007 1,2
(dual layer) 120mm
replicated, dye
Blu-ray Disc layer & phase
5.25" HH 23/25/27 RO/WO/RW 2004-05 1,2
(BD) change/
120mm
replicated, dye
5.25" HH 25/50 RO/WO/RW 2004-05 1,2
(dual layer) change/
120mm
replicated &
DataPlay Blue SFFD phase change/ 3 RO/WO 2006 1,2
32mm
Digital replicated & 15-60
MultiDisc 5.25" HH phase change/ (3-12 RO/WO 2005-07 1
(DMD) 120mm layers)
Replicated & dye
EVD 6 RO
5.25" HH layer/ 2006-07 1
(dual layer) 11 WO
120mm
MO/
Hi-MD 2.5" HH 1 RO/RW 2004 1,2
64.8mm
5.25" (11"
Holographic photopolymer/
or 17" 200 WO 2005-06 3,4
(InPhase) 130mm
long)
19" RM 200 WO 2005-06 3,4
(Optware) 130mm
Prof. Disc for phase change/
5.25" HH 50 WO/RW 2005-06 3
DATA -2 120mm
Prof. Disc for phase change/
5.25" HH 100 WO/RW 2007-09 3
DATA -3 120mm
MO/
3.5" ISO MO 3.5" HH 4.6-6.9 RW 2005-06 2,3
86mm
UDO-2 phase change/
5.25" HH 60 WO/RO 2005-06 3,4
(dual layer) 130mm
UDO-3 phase change/
5.25" HH 120 WO/RO 2007-09 3,4
(dual layer) 130mm
replicated &
UV-ray Disc
5.25" HH phase change/ 334 RO/WO/RW 2009 1,2
(dual layer)
120mm

Table 7: Long-Term Roadmap
Optical Disc Storage Products – Future (2010-2015)
Form Disc Type/ Capacity Write/Read First Market

Product Name
Factor Diameter (mm) (GB) Options Shipments Segments
AOD replicated &

HD DVD 5.25" HH phase change/ 60/80 RO/RW 2010-11 1,2
(quad layer) 120mm
replicated, dye
5.25" HH 92/100/108 RO/WO/RW 2009-10 1,2
(quad layer) change/
120mm
replicated &
DataPlay Blue
SFFD phase change/ 6-12 RO/WO 2010 1,2
(dual/quad layer)
32mm
replicated &
Digital MultiDisc 150-200
5.25" HH phase change/ RO/WO/RW 2010 1
Blue (10 layers)
120mm
replicated & dye
EVD Blue 24 RO
5.25" HH layer/ 2010-12 1
(dual layer) 40 WO
120mm
MO/
Hi-MD Blue 2.5" HH 4-6 RO/RW 2010 1,2
64.8mm
5.25" FH 1600 WO/RW 2012-15 3,4
(InPhase) 130mm
5.25" FH 1000 WO/RW 2012-15 3,4
(Optware) 130mm
Prof. Disc for
phase change/
DATA-4 5.25" HH 200 WO/RW 2010 3
120mm
(quad layer)
MO/
3.5" ISO MO 3.5" HH 13.8-18.4 RW 2011-12 2,3
86mm
UDO-4 phase change/
5.25" HH 240 WO/RO 2010-12 3,4
(quad layer) 130mm
replicated &
UV-ray Disc
5.25" HH phase change/ 864 RO/WO/RW 2014-15 1,2
(quad layer)
120mm

Table 8:
Roadmap Comparison for Sony PDD and Plasmon UDO22
1st 2nd 3rd 4th

Comments
Generation Generation Generation Generation
th
4 generation specs are
Sony Professional
2003 2005 2007 2010 estimated from prior
Disc for DATA generation data.
phase phase phase phase
Media Type/Size (mm) change/ change/ change/ change/ Cartridge media.
120mm 120mm 120mm 120mm
The need for WO media
Media Types WO/RW WO/RW WO/RW WO/RW may not persist through
the roadmap period.
Near-front surface
Recording Sides 1 1 1 1 write/read. 0.1mm cover
layer.
Recording Layers 1 2 2 4 2-layer discs are proven.
Requires areal density and
Capacity Goal (GB) 23.3 50 100 200
layer number increases.
High streaming data rates
Data Rate Goal (MBps) 11 22 42 60 required for some
anticipated applications.
Fast access times not
Access Time Goal (msec) 60 60 < 60 < 60 needed for most
Media Cost Goal Based on US$45 initial
1.93 0.90 0.45 0.225
(US$/GB) media cost.
4th generation specs are

Plasmon UDO 2003 2005 2007 2010 estimated from prior
generation data.
phase phase phase phase
Media Type/Size (mm) change/ change/ change/ change/ Cartridge media.
130mm 130mm 130mm 130mm
The need for WO media
Media Types WO/RW WO/RW WO/RW WO/RW should persist through the
roadmap period.
Air sandwich architecture.
Recording Sides 2 2 2 2
Rear surface write/read.
Recording Layers 1 2 2 4 2-layer discs are proven.
Requires areal density and
Capacity Goal (GB) 30 60 120 240
layer number increases.
Certain applications, for
example, near-line data
Data Rate Goal (MBps) 8 12 18 27 mining support, require the
highest possible data
rates.
Fast access times not
Access Time Goal (msec) 25 25 25 25 needed for most
Media Cost Goal Based on initial US$60
2 1 0.50 0.25
(US$/GB) media cost.
22 th
All data provided in public domain disclosures by Sony and Plasmon, except for 4 generation estimates. Table
prepared by The ADVENT Group.

Table 9:
Optical Storage Component/Subsystem Attributes
Component/
Subsystem 2003 2005 2007 2009 2015 Comments
Through 2009,
convergence on 405nm
is expected. Beyond
Laser Wavelength (nm) 630-780 405-780 405-780 375-650 256-405 about 2010, UV lasers
and media must be
planned, if not
implemented.
Recording speed and
recording layer
sensitivity are the
pacing factors.
Laser Power (mW) 3-30 3-30 3-30 3-30 3-30
Historically , this has
been the range in laser
powers for each
generation.
Assumes the
Objective Lens NA 0.45-0.60 0.45-0.85 0.60-0.85 0.60-1.5 0.60-2.5 introduction of NFR to
obtain NA >1.
Media types will
replicated, replicated, replicated, replicated, probably stay the
replicated,
Disc Types WO, RW, WO, RW, WO, RW, WO, RW, same. WO should
WO, RW
holographic holographic holographic holographic survive the roadmap
period.
Each side of the disc.
By 2009, areal
Recording Layers 2 2 2-4 2-6 2-20 densities will be so high
that cartridge media will
be required.
Multi-level, multi-layer,
NFR, and combinations
will require significant
Data Encoding/Read
RLL/PRML RLL/PRML RLL/PRML RLL/PRML TBD coding and signal
Channel
processing as 100
Gb/in2 areal densities
are approached.

Figure 8: Comparison of CD, DVD, and Blue Laser optical head designs, spot sizes, and
spatial structures (source: UNAXIS USA in Mediaware, May/June 2004, p.16).
Figure 9: Schematic architecture of a GaN blue laser diode.

Figure 10: Optware Collinear HDS prototype product line shown at ODS 2004 (April 2004;
photo by ADVENT Group).
Figure 11: InPhase Technologies Tapestry HDS prototype product line (source: InPhase
Technologies).

(A)
(B)
Figure 12: The Philips FluidFocus VFL concept and implementation. (A) illustrates the basic
design, showing three voltage-driven lens curvatures; response time is about 10
msec. (B) is a digital camera prototype; a smaller version will help enable
sophisticated multilayer optical disc storage. Source: Philips Research.

Figure 13a: Photon Sieve for UV and X-ray spot formation. The mask pattern features
randomly located apertures of varying diameters. Source: University of Kiel
(Germany).
Figure 13b: Photon Sieve for UV and X-ray spot formation. The classical Airy disc
(irradiance distribution) is on the right; the laser spot is generally defined as the
full width, half maximum (FWHM) diameter. The photon sieve suppresses the
side lobes, yielding a sharper focus and smaller spot. Source: University of Kiel
(Germany).

5 Future Technology Needs
Optical storage continues to develop in terms of areal data density and data transfer rate and
shrink in terms of cost and equipment size. In the current configuration of optical storage
devices, areal data density is a function of wavelength of the laser and the objective lens
numerical aperture. This implies that technologies needed for improvement in this area are
semiconductor lasers capable of operating at shorter wavelengths, and optical lens configurations
with higher numerical apertures. As classical methods reach the end of their capabilities, super
resolution technology must be implemented. Design approaches that include land/groove
recording, multi-layer, multi-level recording, magneto-optic "super-resolution" (such as domain
wall displacement), and improved data coding and detection and error correction must be pushed
to their limits. Improved areal density techniques being investigated by some companies include
near-field recording and flying optical head technologies. Development of high-volume, low-cost
manufacturing approaches will be key to success for these new technologies.
Increasing the per channel data transfer rate will require: (1) higher speed digital encode/decode
channels, (2) higher power semiconductor lasers, (3) higher speed spindles, improved recording
materials, and (4) increases in track and bit density. The overall device data transfer rate can also
be increased by use of multiple recording heads and/or multiple data recording surfaces;
however, this is expensive to implement and has proven unreliable in practice (other trades may
be necessary). The higher data rates will generate a strong need for improved circuit board
design tools that incorporate the RF design factors and transmission line layout into the process.
This will become increasingly important to maintain satisfactory signal quality and robust data
transfer performance in future products.
Decreasing cost will require reduction in parts count, materials cost, and more efficient assembly
and test processes. This, in turn, will require simplification of the mechanical elements of the
drives as well as greater electronics integration. This is a well-developed art for current and next-
generation optical storage devices. The real challenge will come with future-generation optical
storage products.
Decreasing device size will require minimizing dimensions of mechanical and optical elements,
as well as increasing the electronic packaging density. Decreasing device size also increases the
difficulty of heat removal and may necessitate reduced power dissipation for equivalent
performance.
Some of the areas that require significant R&D to ensure the future of optical storage devices and
media include the following:
• Blue and UV laser diodes with sufficient output power and compatible optical recording
layers that can meet or beat the dates shown in the roadmaps.
• Information recording layers capable of supporting higher areal densities and data rates.
• Transformation of multilevel and multilayer recording techniques into practical product
configurations.
• Spindle and motor configurations capable of rotating the discs at speeds in excess of 10,000
rpm without excessive axial and radial runout and actual destruction of the disc.

• Solving materials and reliability challenges associated with the head-disk interface of near-
field optical heads combined with removable plastic substrate media, especially for WO and
RW media.
Several advanced optical storage technologies may hold the key to the future development of
optical storage. Basic components and designs have been discussed previously, and formed the
basis for the near-term and future roadmaps. Here, several specific examples are discussed;
others are clearly possible.
Ø Fluorescent Multilayer Discs (FMD )

Despite an uneven start by Constellation 3D (now D Data, NYC), FMD offers some unique
opportunities for optical disc storage. Up to 20 layers are known to be feasible today, and
perhaps in the future as many as 100 layers (ROM). A multilayer design of this type eliminates
the need for multiple discs per spindle to match magnetic disc drive capacity, does not violate
any media standards, makes direct piracy very difficult, and can take advantage of the existing
hardware and media infrastructure. A variable focus and active aberration correction capability
must be added to the optical head. Disc mastering and replication can be implemented without
fundamental changes to the production line. To date, less than $20 million has been invested in
FMD. Nevertheless, this has allowed rather impressive prototypes to be demonstrated. FMD is a
concept well worth pursuing.
Ø Holographic Data Storage (HDS)

Volume holography permits parallel record and rapid access, as well as the possibility for
associative recall – when implemented as a BORAM (block oriented random access memory).
Today’s HDS under development by InPhase and Optware use a disc-oriented format based on
WO photopolymers. This preserves parallel write/read, but results in slow accesses times typical
of optical disc drives. For archival and serial streaming (AV) applications this may be
satisfactory. However, the real potential of HDS can only be realized with a BORAM
architecture. This requires development of (1) thicker, higher diffraction efficiency phase-only
storage media, (2) higher power, more compact lasers (probably emitting in the blue-violet part
of the visible spectrum); (3) less expensive, more accurate beam positioners, and (4) faster, much
lower noise photodetector arrays. WO media is satisfactory for the large majority of applications.
RW media is of questionable value, since individual holograms in a 3-D stack cannot be
individually erased. A quasi-CD/DVD mastering-replication model in which a high priced writer
produces RO 3-D hologram arrays for read out in a relatively inexpensive reader is one concept
for commercialization until volume and industry acceptance reach critical levels.
Ø Near Field Recording (NFR)

The TeraStor debacle caused many companies to rethink their NFR strategies. Both sub-
wavelength flying optical heads and contamination of the SIL by laser blow back are daunting
challenges for MO media and may also be true for RW phase change media. WO media based on
constrained dye systems are less of a problem. RO media read should be feasible. A combination
of NFR and multilevel area modulation could provide significant areal density increases. The
incorporation of the SIL onto the top surface of the disc (a continuous cylinder lens
superimposed on the lands), as proposed by Calimetrics, might also increase reliability and
minimize implementation difficulty.

Glossary
AOD Advanced Optical Disc (now HD DVD)

ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
BD Blu-ray Disc
CD Compact Disk
CLV Constant Linear Velocity
CMOS Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
DVD Digital Versatile Disk
EVD Enhanced Versatile Disc
Gb gigabit (109 bits)
GB gigabyte (109 bytes; 1 byte = 8 bits)
HAMR Head Assisted Magnetic Recording
HD DVD High Density (formerly, Definition) DVD
HDD Hard Disk Drive
HDS Holographic Data System
ISI Intersymbol Interference
ISO International Standards Organization
MEMS Microelectromechanical Systems
MO Magneto-Optical
MRAM Magnetic Random Access Memory
NSIC National Storage Industry Consortium
PRML Partial Response Maximum Likelihood, Signal coding
PB petabyte (1015 bytes)
RLL Run Length Limited
RO Read-Only (same as ROM)
RW ReWritable (same as erasable)
SSFD Small Form Factor Disc
SIL Solid Immersion Lens
TB Terabyte (1012 bytes)
UDO Ultra-Density Optical
WO Write-Once (same as WORM)
WORM Write Once Read Mostly

Optical Data Storage Roadmap 2005-2015 X RGZech@ADVENT

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Optical Data Storage Roadmap 2005-2015 X RGZech@ADVENT

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The 2005-15 Roadmap

Optical Storage for

The ADVENT Group

© The ADVENT Group 2004 p-2

Section Topic page

Roadmap Technologies and Product

5 Future Technology Needs 42

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2.2 Blue Laser Disc – Consumer Applications

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2.3 Blue Laser Disc – Computer Applications

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2.4 Small Form Factor Disc (SFFD) Optical Storage

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2.6 Large-format Optical Disc Storage

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Form Disc Type/ Capacity Write/Read In Market

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Toshiba/NEC Matsushita Sony Plasmon

Prof. Disc for

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Product Drives Discs Total Revenues

169 17,000 22,700

174.2 17,239.1 24,435.8

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2003 2004 Market Comments

Lowest cost component for entry-

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2003 2004 Market Comments

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4.1 Advanced Technologies Supporting the Roadmap

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4.2 Key Component Attributes

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Ø Copy Protection and Compression

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Form Disc Type/ Capacity Write/Read First Market

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Form Disc Type/ Capacity Write/Read First Market

AOD replicated &

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1st 2nd 3rd 4th

4th generation specs are

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