Write-once blue laser recording using silicon doped SbOx thin films prepared by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering

Si:SbO_x films have been deposited by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering from a Sb target with Si chips attached in Ar + O₂ with the relative O₂ content 7%. The as-deposited films contained Sb metal, Sb₂O₃, SiO, Si₂O₃ and SiO₂. The crystallization of Sb was responsible for the changes of optical properties of the films. The results of the blue laser recording test showed that the films had good writing sensitivity for blue laser beam (406.7 nm), and the recording marks were still clear even if the films were deposited in air 60 days, which demonstrated that doping silicon in SbO_x films can improve the stability of SbO_x films. High reflectivity contrast of about 36% was obtained at a writing power 6 mW and writing pulse width 300 ns.