Pioneer and its subsidiary, Pioneer FA, announced today that they have jointly developed a high-precision electron beam recorder (EBR) by utilizing their fine-processing technology and equipment technology, which will make it easier to manufacture master discs for next-generation optical discs such as Blu-ray Discs. Pioneer FA will start selling the new high-precision EBR in early April, 2004

In the conventional optical-disc mastering process, many disc manufacturers have been using laser beam recorders (LBR), which utilize ultraviolet (UV) lasers or deep-ultraviolet (Deep-UV) lasers as light source. Pioneer's high-precision EBR employs an electron beam as a recording beam to sharply narrow the beam diameter, which can realize even finer pattern processing in the mastering process, compared with LBRs.

The high-precision EBR also achieves high levels of record-positioning accuracy, thanks to the high-precision recording position control technology, which the Pioneer group developed when it started with production of Laser Discs. Pioneer's EBR can manufacture master discs for high-density optical discs including Blu-ray discs, as well as Discrete Track Media and Patterned Media - higher-density hard disks regarded as highly promising future technologies.

Pioneer FA expects that the market will expand and plans on promoting the development of next generation EBRs to realize even higher-density recording together with Pioneer.

Main Features:

- Stable electron beam emission with a large current by utilizing a thermal/field type emitter.
- Large, high-density recording capacity of 50GB or more on one side of a ? 12 cm disc.
- High track-pitch accuracy.
- High productivity with a load-lock chamber

Main Specifications:

Electron beam emitter: Thermal/field emission type

Acceleration voltage: 50kV

Modulation speed: 6ns or lower (10% to 90%)

Beam deflector: 2-stage, bi-directional, 10ns or lower (10% to 90%)

Objective lens aperture: 4 positions selectable

Beam diameter/Beam current: ?80nm/90nA or more

Spindle motor: Vacuum seal air spindle motor

Rotation speed 60r.p.m - 2,400r.p.m

Substrate: Silicone wafer (max. 8 inches)

Focus control: Optical height sensor (range: ±250µm)

Stage position sensor: Laser interferometer (resolution ability: 0.6nm)