InPhase Develops Holographic-ROM for Consumer Devices

January 5, 2006

InPhase Technologies today announced it has developed and is shipping the first Holographic-ROM (H-ROM) media targeted for use in consumer devices. Data are recorded into the Tapestry HDS4000 media with the same wavelength red lasers used in CDs and DVDs. This is the latest addition to the media product family that includes green laser HDS3000 media, and blue laser HDS5000 media.

InPhase also announced it has developed and patented H-ROM mastering and replication technology, for license to companies developing holographic equipment. This will enable the distribution of high-definition content using H-ROM media. Technology that will be incorporated into low-cost readers will also be licensed to consumer electronics companies who will commercialize it within the near future.

InPhase has been shipping Tapestry HDS4000 media since late 2005 to companies developing consumer holographic devices. The media can be used for distribution of audio or video content. The media will be made in several different form factors from postage stamp to credit card size, which could hold several high definition movies.

The announcement was made today in Las Vegas at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

InPhase will be the first company to deliver a holographic product for professional archive applications in late 2006. The media for this product will be offered through its strategic partner Hitachi Maxell Ltd. The initial InPhase Tapestry holographic recording device will record 300 gigabytes (GB) of data onto a 130 mm disc with a transfer rate of 20 megabytes per second (MB/s). This is compatible with high-definition television transmission rates, and high-end enterprise computer applications.

“Today’s CDs and DVDs are based on red laser technology, and Tapestry HDS4000 media, which is sensitive to 680nm wavelengths, now enables the development of low-cost consumer holographic devices based on these red lasers,” said Lisa Dhar, Vice President of Media Development at InPhase Technologies. “This will usher in an era of devices that provide the performance and capacity of commercial products at consumer prices.”

The Tapestry HDS4000 media will be available through the InPhase Media Evaluation Program. The program is designed to accelerate the development of holographic storage products in a broad range of applications from consumer to enterprise by making InPhase holographic media and development equipment available to a wide variety of product developers.

Source: InPhase