The present invention relates to magnetooptic heads used in recording/reproducing data to and from magnetooptic discs.
JP-A 2003-51144 Gazette, for example, discloses a magnetooptic head which uses magnetic field modulation method. The magnetooptic head disclosed in the Gazette includes a lens which forms a laser spot on a disc, a coil placed between the lens and the disc for generation of a magnetic field, and a magnetic layer placed between the coil and the lens. The coil generates heat when an electric current is applied to the coil. In order to remove the heat from the coil efficiently, the head disclosed in the gazette makes use of a radiator layer which surrounds the outer circumference of the coil. According to this arrangement, the radiator layer improves heat removal as it is cooled by an airflow generated when the disc is turning.
However, the arrangement is not sufficient yet as will be explained below, in improving heat removal.
In the magnetic field modulation method, a high frequency current of e.g. 50 MHz flows through the magnetic field generation coil. The coil generates a magnetic field, and the range of magnetic field distribution is deformed by a magnetic layer so the magnetic field works efficiently in a direction toward the disc. In this process, the magnetic flux which penetrates the magnetic layer changes its direction in the magnetic layer, and an eddy current generates to cancel the directional change. The eddy current turns into heat and increases the temperature of the magnetic layer.
The magnetic field generated in the coil also works on the radiator layer which surrounds the coil outer circumference. Then, an eddy current generates in the radiator layer according to the directional change of the magnetic flux. As a result, this eddy current turns into heat to degrade the characteristic (heat removal) of the radiator layer.
Such temperature rise in the magnetic layer or such characteristic degradation in the radiator layer causes heat inflow to the lens. This leads to shift in an optical characteristic such as the refraction index of the lens. So there has still been room for improvement for increased heat removal, including removal of heat caused by the eddy currents.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a magnetooptic head capable of increasing removal of heat including heat caused by eddy current.
A first aspect of the present invention provides a magnetooptic head which includes: a lens for formation of a beam spot on a disc; a coil placed between the lens and the disc for generating a magnetic field; and a magnetic layer between the coil and the lens. The magnetic layer includes a plurality of magnetic members arranged radially around the optical axis of the lens. Between the magnetic layer and the lens is provided a thermal conduction layer for reception of heat. The thermal conduction layer is formed integral with a thermal conduction section which extends into a space between the magnetic members in the magnetic layer, for reception of heat.
According to a preferred embodiment, a radiator layer for releasing heat generated in the coil is provided around the coil. The radiator layer and the thermal conduction layer are integral with each other.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a magnetooptic head which includes: a lens for formation of a beam spot on a disc; a coil placed between the lens an the disc for generating a magnetic field; a magnetic layer between the coil and the lens; and a radiator layer surrounding the coil for releasing heat generated in the coil. The magnetic layer includes a plurality of magnetic members arranged radially around the optical axis of the lens. A thermal conduction member for reception of heat is provided between the magnetic members in the magnetic layer. The radiator layer and the thermal conduction member are integral with each other.
A third aspect of the present invention provides a magnetooptic head which includes: a lens for formation of a beam spot on a disc; a coil placed between the lens and the disc for generating a magnetic field; a magnetic layer between the coil and the lens; and a radiator layer surrounding the coil for releasing heat generated in the coil. A thermal conduction layer for reception of heat is provided between the magnetic layer and the lens. The radiator layer and the thermal conduction layer are integral with each other.
According to a preferred embodiment, the magnetic layer comprises a plurality of magnetic members disposed radially around the optical axis of the lens.
According to a preferred embodiment, the thermal conduction layer is divided radially with the optical axis of the lens as a center.
According to a preferred embodiment, the radiator layer is divided radially with the optical axis of the lens as a center.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description to be made with reference to the attached drawings.
As shown in
The magnetooptic disc D is driven by an unillustrated spindle motor and rotates at a high speed about an axis indicated in
The carriage 70 is driven by e.g. an unillustrated voice coil motor and is capable of moving in the tracking direction Tg. This movement of the carriage 70 is involved in a seek operation which is an operation of bringing the lens holder 10 close to a target track. The laser beam comes from a fixed optical unit which includes an unillustrated laser diode and a collimating lens toward the carriage 70 to reach an erection mirror 71 mounted in the carriage 70. The laser beam then reflects on the erection mirror 71 in an upward direction, enters the objective lenses 11a, 11b successively to converge, thereby forming a laser spot on the recording layer 88. The fixed optical unit also includes a beam splitter and an optical detector so the laser beam reflected by the recording layer 88 is then detected by the optical detector.
As shown clearly in
The coil 2 is formed by patterning a film of metal such as copper into a predetermined shape, and can be formed by semiconductor manufacturing process. The coil 2 has e.g. two layers of conductor films 20a, 20b (Note that the conductor film 20b which is closer to the objective lens 11b is not illustrated in
The magnetic layer 3, which is made of e.g. Permalloy, serves to deform the distribution pattern of the magnetic field generated by the coil 2 so that the magnetic field works efficiently in a direction toward the magnetooptic disc D. As shown clearly in
The radiator layer 4 is made of a metal which has a higher thermal conductivity than the dielectric film 6, such as copper. In the present embodiment, the radiator layer 4 releases heat generated by the coil 2 and the magnetic layer 3 as well as heat conducted from the thermal conduction layer 5. As shown clearly in
The thermal conduction layer 5, which is made of e.g. the same copper material as of the radiator layer 4, is provided for efficient reception of heat which transfers from the coil 2 toward the substrate 60 and the lens 11b. As shown clearly in
The dielectric film 6 is made of a translucent dielectric material such as aluminum oxide and silicon oxide, and is formed on the substrate 60 to cover the coil 2, the magnetic layer 3, the radiator layer 4 and the thermal conduction layer 5. The coil 2, the magnetic layer 3 and the radiator layer 4 are insulated from each other by the dielectric film 6 which mediates between them. The magnetic members 30 of the magnetic layer 3 and the thermal conduction sections 50 of the thermal conduction layer 5 are also insulated from each other by the dielectric film 6 which mediates in between. Being as the above, the dielectric film 6 preferably has a refraction index which is substantially the same as of the substrate 60 or of the objective lens 11b. It should be noted that in
The coil 2, the magnetic layer 3, the radiator layer 4, the thermal conduction layer 5 and the dielectric film 6 can be formed by semiconductor manufacturing process, as follows:
First, as shown in
Next, as shown in
Next, as shown in
Then, in order to form the coil 2, as shown in
Next, description will cover function of the magnetooptic head H.
In the present embodiment, magnetic field modulation method is used as a method for writing data to the magnetooptic disc D. When writing data to the magnetooptic disc D by means of magnetic field modulation method, a laser beam is applied intermittently onto a target track in the recording layer 88 while the magnetooptic disc D is rotated, whereby a specific magnetic material in the recording layer 88 is heated up to its Curie temperature. Meanwhile, a high frequency current of 20 MHz or of a higher frequency is applied to the coil 2 to alter the direction of magnetic field. Through these operations, magnetizing direction of the magnetic material in the recording layer 88 is controlled.
The magnetic field generated by the coil 2 as described works efficiently in the direction toward the magnetooptic disc D as the magnetic field distribution range is deformed by the magnetic layer 3. In the magnetic layer 3, the magnetic flux penetrates each magnetic member 30 in its longitudinal direction. On the other hand, there is little magnetic flux which penetrates the thermal conduction layer 5 including the thermal conduction sections 50 since magnetic flux is concentrated to the nearby magnetic members 30. Due to such a magnetic flux direction change as this, eddy current is generated in each magnetic member 30 to counter the magnetic flux. The eddy current turns into heat and increases the temperature of each magnetic member 30. The heat due to eddy current as the above is received mainly by the thermal conduction sections 50 together with the heat generated in the coil 2, and then conducted efficiently to the thermal conduction layer 5. Thus, the heat does not transfer very much to the objective lens 11b or the substrate 60.
The heat received by the thermal conduction layer 5 then is efficiently conducted to the radiator layer 4. The radiator layer 4 also receives the heat generated at the coil 2. As the magnetooptic disc D rotates, a high speed air flow is generated between the radiator layer 4 and the magnetooptic disc D. Though covered by part of the dielectric film 6, the upper surface 40 of the radiator layer 4 is placed as close as possible to the magnetooptic disc D and so is cooled positively by the high speed air flow. Therefore, heat which comes from the thermal conduction layer 5 and the coil 2 to the radiator layer 4 easily moves toward the upper surface 40 of the radiator layer 4, and is released efficiently from the upper surface 40 of the radiator layer 4 to the outside (in the air).
As described, most of the heat generated in the coil 2 and heat generated by the eddy current move to the thermal conduction layer 5 or the radiator layer 4, and eventually dissipated effectively through the upper surface 40 of the radiator layer 4. For this reason, it is possible to increase heat removal around the coil 2 even if there is heat generation by the eddy current. Heat around the coil 2, especially heat near the thermal conduction layer 5, is removed efficiently, and as a result, there is reduced heat affect to the objective lens 11b and/or the substrate 60. Thus, there is no risk that the heat will alter optical characteristics, e.g. refraction index, of the objective lens 11b and the substrate 60. This makes possible to form a laser spot at a proper size and position on the recording layer 88 of the magnetooptic disc D, which then enables to increase accuracy in data recording.
For a reference,
According to a structure such as the above, heat from the coil 2 and magnetic members 30 is conducted to the thermal conduction member 51, and so does not very much to the objective lens 11b or the substrate 60. The heat received by the thermal conduction member 51 then transfers efficiently to the radiator layer 4. The heat received by the thermal conduction member 51 then moves efficiently to the radiator layer 4, and dissipates to the outside from an upper surface 40 of the radiator layer 4. Therefore, a construction such as the above is also capable of increasing heat removal, and is suitable for reducing the influence of the heat on the objective lens 11b and the substrate 60.
According to such a construction as the above, the thermal conduction layer 5 is penetrated slightly by magnetic flux, which generates a small amount of eddy current in the thermal conduction layer 5. However, since the thermal conduction layer 5 is divided into pieces by the gaps 5a, the eddy current only occurs in separation, in individually divided portions of the thermal conduction layer 5, and the amount of the eddy current as a back flow is limited to a relatively small amount. Therefore, heat generation in the thermal conduction layer 5 due to the eddy current is limited to a small amount as possible, and heat removal is promoted accordingly.
According to such a construction as the above, the thermal conduction layer 5 and the radiator layer 4 are penetrated slightly by magnetic flux, so a small amount of eddy current is generated in the thermal conduction layer 5 and the radiator layer 4. However, as described earlier, the eddy current can occur only in separated portions of the thermal conduction layer 5 and radiator layer 4, and the amount of the eddy current as a back flow is limited to a relatively small size. Therefore, according to a construction such as the above, heat generation due to the eddy current is limited to a small amount as possible, and heat removal is promoted accordingly.
It should be noted that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described hereinabove. Specific constitution of each part and components of the magnetic head according to the present invention may be varied in many different ways.
For example, a magnetooptic head according to the present invention may include a slider which floats slightly off the magnetooptic disc, and the coil may be provided in the slider. Further, although manufacture of the coil, the magnetic layer, the radiator layer, the thermal conduction layer (thermal conduction member) and the dielectric film are easy to in the form of films by using semiconductor manufacturing processes, the method of manufacture is not limited to this.
This is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2003/014164, filed Nov. 6, 2003.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP03/14164 | Nov 2003 | US |
Child | 11413515 | Apr 2006 | US |