Application of Laser Diodes to Optical Disk Systems: The History of Laser Diode Development and Mass Production in Three Generations of Optical Disk Systems

Twenty years after Dr. Holonyak's invention, a compact disc (CD) was introduced to the market in 1982. A laser diode is always in the heart of optical storage systems and a variety of other industrial applications. Innovations in laser diode technologies have brought optical storage evolutions from CD to digital versatile disc (DVD) and then Blu-ray disc (BD) every ten years. Since the most important reason for our success in laser development is our choice of metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) for growing these semiconductor alloys, MOCVD equipment, growth conditions, material properties, and phenomena associated with MOCVD and various alloy lasers grown by MOCVD are described in detail. Reviewing the development history would tell us how the laser diode has created a huge market and why recent innovations will predict future applications.