NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL MEMORY HEAD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an optical memory head a compact constitution and to be suited for a mass production and for being made to be an array in a near- field optical memory head reproducing information of a record medium by utilizing a near-field light. SOLUTION: In this optical memory head, a light source 1 including a wavelength component such as to transmit a flate substrate 9 is used and at least one inverse cone shaped tapered part is formed in the substrate 9 and a minute opening 12 is formed at its top part. Then, a light receiving element 10 is arranged at the upper part of the tapered part and the tapered part is given with a lightproof film 11 so that an irradiating light 7 from the light source 1 is not made directly incident on this light receiving element 10. By such a constitution, all of a near-field light generating system generating a near-field light on the surface of a record medium 5 and a near-field light detecting system guiding a propagation light 8 which is to be obtained by making the generated near-field light interact with the minute opening 12 to the light receiving element 10 and the element 10 are integrated into one body.