Optical pickup

An optical pickup having a one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating and a two-wavelength laser generator is provided in which crosstalk noise caused by leakage of a track error signal into a focus error signal is reduced to improve focus control performance. A main beam and sub-beams generated by the one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating and reflected from the surface of an optical disc are incident on corresponding light receiving elements among which the one to receive the main beam and those to receive the sub-beams are relatively shifted in a linear-speed direction of the optical disc. The distance of the shifting is determined based on the characteristic, relative to the relative positions of the light receiving elements, of the leakage of the tracking error signal into the focus error signal detected based on the main beam and sub-beams.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application relates to and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-139171 filed on Jun. 18, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an optical pickup and, more particularly, to an optical pickup with reduced leakage of a tracking error signal into a focus error signal.

(2) Description of the Related Art

Among the optical disc devices for recording and reproducing an information signal on and from an optical disc such as a compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disc (DVD), those for using a DVD as a recoding medium, in particular, are required to be compatible also with a CD as a recording medium. Such optical disc devices require an optical pickup which can selectively generate, according to the type of the recording medium loaded, a near-infrared laser beam for CD or a red laser beam for DVD, which differ in wavelength, to record or reproduce an information signal on or from the recording medium.

An example of a two-wavelength optical pickup which can generate laser beams of two different wavelengths as described above is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-317280.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The two-wavelength optical pickup like the one described above used to include, as shown in FIG. 3 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-317280, a pair of laser source and diffraction grating for CD, another pair of laser source and diffraction grating for DVD, and a beam splitter for guiding the two laser beams emitted from the two laser sources into an approximately same optical path, imposing a limitation on its miniaturization.

In two-wavelength optical pickups widely used today, however, a two-wavelength laser source unit includes two laser diodes, arranged closely to each other (spaced apart, for example, by about 0.1 mm), for generating two laser beams of different wavelengths, one for CD and the other for DVD, and a same diffraction grating is used for the two laser beams making the above mentioned beam splitter unnecessary, so that miniaturization of the optical pickups can be better promoted.

Using, as described above, a diffraction grating for both CD and DVD will be discussed below. A diffraction grating has a predetermined grating period and divides a laser beam generated by a laser source into a main beam (zeroth-order diffracted beam) and two sub-beams (positive and negative first-order diffracted beams). As being described later, an optical pickup has a light receiving element in a photodetector for detecting a main beam reflected from a disc surface and two light receiving elements in the photodetector for detecting two sub-beams also reflected from the disc surface. In the optical disc device, a tracking error signal for tracking control and a focus error signal for focus control are generated by computation using electrical signals obtained from the light receiving elements in the photodetector and the optical pickup position is controlled, using the tracking error signal and focus error signal, in the horizontal (tracking) direction and vertical (focus) direction relative to the recording track on the optical disc.

Between a CD and a DVD, not only the wavelength of the laser beam to be used but also the track pitch differs, so that the optimum grating period of the diffraction grating also differs between a CD and a DVD. Generally, therefore, two diffraction gratings, one for CD and the other for DVD, are provided at different positions along the thickness direction (laser beam traveling direction). A set of such diffraction gratings is sometimes referred to as a two-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating. A problem with a two-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating having two diffraction grating planes is a high cost.

Recently, to remove such a cost problem, one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction gratings each having only one diffraction plane have come to be used. When using a same diffraction plane for two laser beams of different wavelengths, an optimum grating period is determined for a position through which the two beams pass. In reality, however, determining an optimum grating period for the two beams is difficult, so that a grating period which, though not optimum, is applicable to the two beams without causing any significant problem is used.

In such a case, the two sub-beams, in particular, result in being incident on spots on the surface of an optical disc slightly shifted from optimum spots, respectively. This causes a tracking error signal to leak into a focus error signal used for focus control and thereby degrades the focus control performed for the optical pickup.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problem and it is an object of the invention to provide an optical pickup with reduced leakage of a tracking error signal into a focus error signal.

To address the above problem, the present invention provides an optical pickup for recording or reproducing, by irradiating an optical disc recording medium with a laser beam, an information signal on or from the optical disc recording medium. The optical pickup comprises: a laser beam generator for selectively generating a first laser beam with a first wavelength or a second laser beam with a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; a one-plane two-wavelength diffraction grating which is irradiated with one of the first and the second laser beams generated by the laser beam generator and divides, using a same diffraction plane, the one of the first and the second laser beams into a main beam and two sub-beams; a collimating lens for converting the main beam and two sub-beams, each being a divergent beam, generated at the one-plane two-wavelength diffraction grating into parallel beams;

an objective lens for condensing the main beam and two sub-beams converted into parallel beams by the collimating lens on a data recording surface of the recording medium; a condensing lens for condensing the main beam and two sub-beams reflected from the data recording surface; and a photodetector including a first light receiving element which has four light receiving areas and converts, by being irradiated with the main beam condensed by the condensing lens, the main beam into an electrical signal and a second and a third light receiving elements each of which has four light receiving areas and converts, by being irradiated with a corresponding one of the two sub-beams condensed by the condensing lens, the corresponding sub-beam into an electrical signal. In the optical pickup, a center position of the four light receiving areas of each of the second and the third light receiving elements is shifted, in a linear-speed direction of the optical disc relative to the optical pickup, by a predetermined distance relative to the first light receiving element.

According to the present invention, an optical pickup with reduced leakage of a tracking error signal into a focus error signal can be provided, so that the invention can contribute toward improving the basic performance of optical pickups.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1is a block diagram of an optical disc device including an optical pickup according to an embodiment of the present invention. An optical disc1is a recording medium such as a CD or a DVD. It may also be a write-once disc, e.g. a CD-R or DVD-R, which allows recording only once, or a rewritable disc, e.g. a CD-RW or DVD-RAM, or a read-only disc, e.g. a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. When the optical disc1is loaded in the optical disc device, it is rotationally driven by a spindle motor12via a shaft11in accordance with a drive control signal provided by a system control circuit6.

An optical pickup3irradiates the recording surface of the optical disc1with a laser beam32via an objective lens31to record or reproduce data on or from the optical disc1.

The optical pickup3is included in a thread mechanism (not shown) and, moving over the optical disc1along the radial direction thereof, records or reproduces data on or from a predetermined track position on the optical disc1in accordance with a control signal generated by the system control circuit6. The objective lens31is included in an actuator (not shown) and its position is fine-adjusted, also in accordance with a control signal generated by the system control circuit6, both in the vertical direction (focusing direction) and radial direction (tracking direction) relative to the optical disc1so as to allow the laser beam32to trace, in a correctly focused state, a predetermined recording track.

When the optical pickup3reproduces a signal from the optical disc1, the reproduced signal is supplied to an analog front end (AFE) circuit4. The AFE circuit4processes the reproduced signal that is, even though digitally recorded, to be intrinsically treated as an analog signal. Namely, the AFE CIRCUIT4generates, by processing the reproduced signal, a tracking error (TE) signal and a focus error (FE) signal and supplies the generated signals to the system control circuit6. The system control circuit6generates, based on the TE signal and FE signal supplied, servo signals for tracking and focusing and supplies the servo signals to the optical pickup3thereby controlling the operation of the optical pickup3.

When data is recorded or reproduced using the optical pickup3and optical disc1, the AFE circuit4equalizes the frequency characteristics of data signal amplitude and phase, then outputs the data to an output terminal5allowing the data to be supplied to a reproduced signal processing circuit (not shown). There are cases in which the AFE circuit4as well as the reproduced signal processing circuit is integrated on a same semiconductor chip on which the system control circuit6is also integrated.

FIG. 2is a block diagram of the optical pickup3shown inFIG. 1. The optical pickup3includes a two-wavelength laser beam generator33for generating laser beams for CD and DVD. The laser beam generator33includes laser diodes and generates, depending on the type of the optical disc1loaded in the optical disc device, a near-infrared laser beam for CD or a red laser beam for DVD. InFIG. 2, the arrows indicate an approximate optical path followed by the generated laser beams.

As mentioned in the foregoing, the laser sources for CD and DVD are arranged closely to each other. In reality, they are shifted from each other by about 0.1 mm. Because the recording track pitch differs between a CD and a DVD and also because the distance between the laser source for CD and the CD surface differs from the distance between the laser source for DVD and the DVD surface, the optical path followed by the laser beam for CD slightly differs from the optical path followed by the laser beam for DVD. InFIG. 2, however, they are shown as being identical for simplification.

When a laser beam is generated by the laser beam generator33, it is divided, at a diffraction grating34, into three beams, i.e. one main beam called a zeroth-order diffracted beam and two sub-beams called positive and negative first-order diffracted beams. The diffraction grating34divides the laser beam such that the two sub-beams hit two spots on the optical disc1which are mutually oppositely shifted, in the radial direction of the optical disc1, from the spot hit by the main beam by one half the recording track pitch of the optical disc1.

The three beams thus generated at the diffraction grating34pass, each as a divergent beam, a beam splitter35to be then each converted into a parallel beam at a collimating lens36. Subsequently, the parallel beams are reflected from a total reflection mirror37toward the recording surface of the optical disc1. The reflected beams irradiate the optical disc1after being refracted by the objective lens31to be focused on the recording surface of the optical disc1. As mentioned in the foregoing, the objective lens31is included in an actuator, and its position is controlled in both the tracking direction and the focusing direction so that it can accurately trace the recording track of the optical disc1.

The three beams reflected from the optical disc1reach, via the objective lens31, the total reflection mirror37to be reflected toward the collimating lens36. After passing the collimating lens36, the beams are reflected by the beam splitter35to reach a condensing lens38. The beams are refracted by the condensing lens38and are emitted to a photodetector20to be converted into electrical signals corresponding to their intensities. The AFE circuit is supplied with the electrical signals, equalizes, based on the supplied electrical signals, the frequency characteristics of the data signal reproduced from the optical disc1and generates the TE and FE signals.

Note that the optical pickup structure shown inFIG. 2does not limit the present invention. For example, the beam splitter35and the collimating lens36may be arranged in reverse order as in the arrangement described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-317280. Also, in cases where the thickness of the optical pickup3does not matter, the laser beam emitted from the laser beam generator33may be directed toward the optical disc1without using the total reflection mirror37. Thus, the present invention can also be applied to optical pickups structured differently from the structure shown inFIG. 2.

Next, generation of the FE signal in the AFE circuit4will be described.

FIG. 3is a block diagram of a FE signal generation section of the photodetector20shown inFIG. 2. In a left-side portion ofFIG. 3, the positional relationship between the spots on an optical disc irradiated with the three diffracted beams (zeroth-order diffracted beam and positive and negative first-order diffracted beams) and recording tracks on the optical disc is conceptually shown. It is assumed that the optical disc1is of a type which allows information signal recording. The positional relationship shown represents a transitional state where tracking control and focus control is performed with recording in progress on the optical disc1.

As described in the foregoing, the optical pickup3includes the photodetector20for receiving the laser beams reflected from the optical disc1. The photodetector20receives the light reflected from a range of approximately ±Tr relative to a track center position, where Tr represents the recording track pitch of the optical disc1. The photodetector20has three light receiving elements spaced, corresponding to the three diffracted beams, apart by Tr/2 in the tracking direction. Each of the three light receiving elements has four light receiving areas. The AFE circuit4generates the FE signal by processing electrical signals obtained based on the laser beams received by the four light receiving areas of each of the three light receiving elements.

Referring toFIG. 3, four electrical signals generated based on the laser beam deriving from the zeroth-order diffracted beam and received by four light receiving areas denoted A, B, C, and D of a first light receiving element22are also denoted A, B, C, and D. A signal generated by computation made using adders242and243and a subtractor251is referred to as a conventional astigmatism detection (CAD) signal.
FE(CAD)=(A+C)−(B+D)  (1)

A second light receiving element21and a third light receiving element23are provided on both sides of the light receiving element22such that they are centered on positions respectively shifted, in the radial direction (tracking direction) of the optical disc1, from the light receiving element22by ±Tr/2. They also have four light receiving areas each and receive the reflected beams deriving from the positive and negative first-order diffracted beams. A signal generated using subtractors241and244and an adder252is referred to as a subsidiary astigmatism detection (SAD) signal.
FE(SAD)=(EF1+EF3)−(EF2+EF4)  (2)

In the above equation, EF1, EF2, EF3and EF4represent signals obtained by adding E1and F1, E2and F2, E3and F3, and E4and F4, respectively, where E1to E4represent electrical signals generated based on the four light receiving areas of the second light receiving element21and F1to F4represent electrical signals generated based on the four light receiving areas of the third light receiving element23.

A differential astigmatism detection (DAD) signal outputted to an output terminal28is generated by multiplying the SAD signal by coefficient K at a coefficient multiplier26and adding the product thus obtained and the CAD signal.
FE(DAD)=FE(CAD)+K*FE(SAD)={(A+C)−(B+D)}+K*{(EF1+EF3)−(EF2+EF4)}  (3)

In the DAD method generally used today, focus servo control is performed using the signal obtained by the above equation (3) as a FE signal.

The value of coefficient K applied by the coefficient multiplier26is determined beforehand such that tracking error signal leakage into the DAD signal is minimum. Alternatively, an amplitude detector to detect the amplitude of the DAD signal at the output terminal28may be provided to appropriately control the value of coefficient K and keep the amplitude of the DAD signal at a minimum value.

In these days, the photodetector20is, in many cases, not a mere optical part but it is an optoelectric part including an electrical signal generation unit for generating an electrical signal based on detected light. Such a photodetector is also referred to as an optical electronic integrated circuit (OEIC), i.e. a type of integrated circuit. Hence, the light receiving elements21,22and23having divided light receiving areas are formed with extremely high positional accuracy using an integrated circuit fabrication process.

The first light receiving element22, adders242and243, and subtractor251combined may be referred to as a main focus system. The second and third light receiving elements21and23, subtractors241and244, adder252and coefficient multiplier26combined may be referred to as a sub-focus system.

Next, a problem involved in using a one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating as the diffraction grating34shown inFIG. 2and a new improvement method will be described.

FIG. 4shows example relationship between the arrangement of light receiving elements in a photodetector and crosstalk amplitude for a case where a diffraction grating with an optimum grating period for a laser beam for DVD is used. The horizontal axis represents PDT and the vertical axis represents XTK.

InFIG. 4, PDT represents photodetector (PD) balance of the light receiving elements21,22, and23, shown inFIG. 3, in the lateral direction as seen onFIG. 3(linear-speed direction of the optical disc1relative to the optical pickup3). In the case of the light receiving element22, for example, PDT in a state where the corresponding laser beam is optimally focused under focus control is expressed as follows.
PDT={(D+C)−(A+B)}/(A+B+C+D)  (4)
Namely, the value of PDT for each light receiving element is associated with a state where the corresponding laser beam is optimally focused on the light receiving element forming an approximately true circular image. When the laser beam is not optimally focused, i.e. defocused in any direction, it forms an approximately elliptical image on the light receiving element. Referring toFIG. 3, when PDT is positive, the position of each light receiving element is shifted rightward relative to the incident beam and, when PDT is negative, the position of each light receiving element is shifted leftward relative to the incident beam.

Referring toFIG. 4, XTK (crosstalk noise) represents the amplitude of a TR signal leaking into a FE signal. InFIG. 4, curve (1) represents the amplitude of crosstalk noise in a main signal, i.e. the amplitude of crosstalk noise in the CAD signal expressed by the foregoing equation (1). Similarly, curve (2) represents the amplitude of crosstalk noise in a sub-signal, i.e. the amplitude of crosstalk noise in the SAD signal expressed by the foregoing equation (2). Curve (3) represents the amplitude of crosstalk noise in the DAD signal expressed by the foregoing equation (3).

When analyzing the relationship between PDT and XTK as shown inFIG. 4, it is appropriate to measure XTK while shifting the light receiving elements21,22, and23laterally, as seen onFIG. 3, by an equal distance. InFIG. 4, the XTK characteristic curves are represented using the position in curve (1) where the crosstalk in the main signal is minimum as a reference position.

The crosstalk noise in the CAD signal and that in the SAD signal are, in principle, opposite to each other in phase, so that adding them together nullifies their amplitudes. Hence, the DAD signal outputted to the output terminal28shown inFIG. 3becomes a focus error signal without much crosstalk from the tracking error signal, so that precise focus control is made possible. As mentioned in the foregoing, the value of coefficient K applied by the coefficient multiplier26is preferably determined beforehand such that the amplitude of the DAD signal outputted to the output terminal28is minimized. Alternatively, a control section which detects the amplitude of the DAD signal at the output terminal28and controls the value of coefficient K so as to minimize the amplitude of the DAD signal may be provided.

The XTK characteristics shown inFIG. 4are based on a state where, as mentioned in the foregoing, a diffraction grating with an optimum grating period for the corresponding laser beam for DVD is used. The crosstalk can similarly be reduced also in cases where a two-wavelength laser beam generator is used together with a two-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating unit which optimally diffracts a laser beam, whether for CD or DVD, into a main beam and sub-beams. In such cases, as shown by curve (3) inFIG. 4, TR signal leakage into the FE signal can be reduced substantially in accordance with the principle.

When using a one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating, however, it is necessary to devise a further improvement measure.

FIG. 5shows an example arrangement of light receiving elements in a photodetector.

FIG. 6shows another example of relationship between the arrangement of light receiving elements in a photodetector and crosstalk amplitude for a case where a one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating is used.

In the state shown inFIG. 5, the center positions of the light receiving elements21,22, and23shown inFIG. 3are vertically aligned without any lateral shifting between them. Note thatFIG. 4showing the relationship between XTK and PDT is also based on the arrangement as shown inFIG. 5of the light receiving elements.FIG. 6showing, likeFIG. 4, the relationship between XTK and PDT is based on a case where a one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating is used with the light receiving elements arranged as shown inFIG. 5.

InFIG. 6unlike inFIG. 4, the center where XTK is minimum of curve (1) representing the characteristic of crosstalk noise in the main signal is shifted from that of curve (2) representing the characteristic of crosstalk noise in the sub-signal. Hence, the amplitude of crosstalk noise leaking into the DAD signal represented by curve (3) inFIG. 6is larger than inFIG. 4regardless of PDT. This causes focus control to be performed in a state where TR signal leakage into the FE signal is large, so that focus servo performance is degraded.

The characteristic curves shown inFIG. 6indicate that using a one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating does not necessarily result in optimally diffracting laser beams for CD and DVD. In the state as shown inFIG. 6, a position irradiated by a sub-beam of an optical disc is not an optimum position for a main beam.

How the above problem is addressed to according to the present embodiment of the invention will be described below.

FIG. 7shows an example arrangement of the light receiving elements in the photodetector according to the present embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8shows example relationship between the arrangement of the light receiving elements in the photodetector and crosstalk amplitude according to the present embodiment of the invention.

InFIG. 6, curve (2) representing the characteristic of crosstalk noise in the sub-signal is shifted in the positive direction in terms of PDT relative to curve (1) representing the characteristic of crosstalk noise in the main signal. This signifies that the positive and negative first-order diffracted beams (sub-beams) are incident centering on spots rightward, as seen inFIG. 3orFIG. 5, of the spot on which the zeroth-order diffracted beam (main beam) is incident on the optical disc.

Hence, to remove such shifting between the characteristic curves, the second and third light receiving elements are shifted rightward relative to the first light receiving element22in the present embodiment.

The example relationship between XTK and PDT shown inFIG. 8has been measured using a one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating with the light receiving elements arranged as shown inFIG. 7. InFIG. 8, the center where the XTK value is minimum of curve (2) representing the characteristic of crosstalk noise in the sub-signal approximately coincides with that of curve (1) representing the characteristic of crosstalk noise in the main signal. As shown inFIG. 8, the amplitude of crosstalk noise in the DAD signal shown by curve (3) is reduced to be comparable to that shown inFIG. 4. Hence, focus control is performed in a state where TR signal leakage into the FE signal is small, so that focus servo performance is improved.

The arrangement of the light receiving elements as shown inFIG. 7in which the second and third light receiving elements21and23are shifted rightward relative to the first light receiving element22is only an example. They may be shifted in a different direction depending on the design of the one-plane, two-wavelength diffraction grating to be used.

The arrangement of the light receiving elements as shown inFIG. 7may be applied not only to the light receiving elements for DVD but also to the light receiving elements for CD included in an optical pickup having a two-wavelength laser beam generator.

FIG. 9shows another example arrangement of light receiving elements included in a photodetector according to the present invention. In this example, the light receiving elements21,22, and23for DVD are closely sided by light receiving elements21A,22A, and23A for CD. The positions relative to one another of the light receiving elements21,22, and23as well as those of the light receiving elements21A,22A, and23A are determined such that focus control is performed in a state where TR signal leakage into the FE signal is small.

InFIGS. 7 and 9, shifting of the light receiving elements21(21A) and23(23A) relative to the first light receiving element22(22A) is shown exaggerated for easy recognition. Light receiving elements for DVD, for example, are, in many cases, as large as about 100 μm square and the above-described shifting between them measures about 1 μm.

The light receiving elements are, as mentioned in the foregoing, manufactured in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The shifting of about 1 μm between light receiving elements can therefore be controlled without any problem taking tolerance into account.