Here is a link to an article on Blue Laser technology that was published more than 2 yrs ago. Note that back then it was predicted that the technology would be launching, production wise, in 2000.
Let?s hope CREE is one of the first.
Blue Lasers Pierce Storage Ceiling
By Carolyn Whelan
Palo Alto, Calif.--"One giant step towards 100-gigabyte storage." So says Waguin Ishak, director of communications and optic research at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, about HP's demonstration of a blue laser, a rapidly developing technology that will revolutionize computer storage. Snip?
www.electronicnews.com/issue/1997/12221997/122297f4.asp
This was from a July 1997 link in Electronic News
Cree Research reported that it has demonstrated an electrically-pulsed, gallium nitride-based blue laser. The breakthrough was accomplished by scientists at Cree who designed and fabricated the device using Cree's silicon carbide wafers combined with a proprietary gallium nitride thin film process. According to Cree, the introduction of a commercially viable blue laser could initially benefit optical storage systems such as high-end mass storage optical recording systems and eventually consumer products such as CD-ROM, CD audio and DVD by increasing storage capacity four to five times. The shorter wavelength of blue light as compared to the longer wavelength of red or infrared lasers used today is responsible for the increase in storage capacity. Cree has been working for the past two years to develop its laser device with partial funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). That funding has been critical in achieving the blue laser result, said Cree's president, Neal Hunter
Jim |
