OBSERVATION OF RECORDED TRACKS IN GESBTE PHASE-CHANGE MEDIA BY AFM

Atomic-force microscopy is first used to observe recorded tracks of ph ase-change media. Microarea morphology images show a swelling of such tracks. Big crystal grains, peaks and valleys have been imaged in the recorded tracks. These defects may contribute to the large media noise in the phase-change recording technique. We find that AFM is a very u seful tool to evaluate the microarea recorded marks.