Blue Lasers Increase Storage Capacity

Not sure how many of you are interested in what makes compact disk drives tick, but many of you might be interested in technology that will make their capacity four times larger. Elantec Semiconductor today introduced a new laser diode driver called the EL6250C for the violet/blue laser diode. Blue lasers are expected to provide a 300% to 400% increase in data storage capability in compact disk, CD-ROM, HDTV-capable DVD, and DVR drives over the infrared and red laser beams that are currently in use. To give you a little technical background, today's lasers typically use infrared light (780 to 850 nanometers) or red light (635 to 670 nanometers). Blue lasers operate at a shorter wavelength (approximately 400 nanometers). A shorter wavelength creates a more concentrated beam of light that can focus to a smaller spot size, making it able to store and read much more information on the same size disk. The new EL6250C blue laser driver operates from two discrete supply voltages. The internal logic operates from +5V supply, while the blue laser diode threshold of +5V requires the output stage to run at greater than +6V. Having two supply voltages allows the EL6250C to minimize power consumption while driving the blue laser. The EL6250C integrates the current channels needed for the read, erase, bias and write laser drive power levels, along with a high frequency modulator (HFM) oscillator with high-speed laser driver output. It's also supposed to reduce component count, in turn reducing production costs and saving board space The EL6250C in a 24-pin QSOP package is priced at $3.60 in 10,000-piece quantities and samples are available now.