Currently, DVD is the fastest growing area in the optical disc market. The high-frequency superposition technique is used in optical pickups that use a single-mode laser to reduce laser noise when read-ing from an optical disc in DVD, MD, CD-RW and other optical disc systems. Recently, DVD optical write pickups for DVD-R/RW that use short-wavelength high-output laser diodes have appeared in the market. As a result, superposition ICs that can handle the short- wavelength and high-output characteristics of the laser diodes used are now indispensable. Furthermore, miniaturization and lower cost are required in the superposition IC to achieve miniaturization and lower cost in end products.

SANYO has developed the SMA4203 high-output high-frequency superposition IC that achieves the increased output required to handle the single mode lasers used in DVD optical pickups for writing, and that also retains the miniature package size of the earlier product. As a result, this device is optimal not only for the DVD optical write pickups used in DVD-R/RW, but also for the optical pickups used in DVD-ROM and CD-RW, and other optical drives. The SMA4203 will be available in sample quantities in October 2001 and in production quantities (1 million units/month) in April 2002.