Low-cost polycarbonate film developed for Blu-ray discs

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http://www.prw.com/main/newsdetails.asp?id=4043

By Christopher Cundy 17/05/2005

Degussa will begin pilot production this year.

17 May 2005 – A new film technology to enable low cost production of Blu-ray discs has been announced by Degussa.

Blu-ray is one of the technologies competing to become the standard for the next generation of optical discs – used for storing computer data, movies and music. They can store over five times as much information as DVDs using blue-violet lasers that read the data stored just 0.1mm under the surface of the disc.

Degussa’s Plexiglas business unit says it has developed a cover layer, of the appropriate thickness, that meets all the optical quality requirements and can be manufactured by an economical process.

Working with partners Philips, Singulus and Sony, the company has already demonstrated functioning discs and is set to begin mass production of the film next year. Degussa project manager Dr Herbert Groothues said: “We will manufacture the quantities required for market launch from the end of 2005 in a pilot plant.

“From mid-2006, we will have a production unit capable of manufacturing Europlex PC film for up to 500 million Blu-ray discs per year.”