Philips and Unaxis have come to an exclusive agreement to extensively cooperate on the production knowledge to optimize and share the production process for DVD+RW media. The cooperation covers all R&D for the DVD+RW disc production process, such as injection molding, sputtering, bonding, initialization, process - and quality control etc. Initial research will focus on lowering production costs for the DVD+RW disc by improving product margins and therefore the current yield and system uptime values. “We are very happy to work with Philips in optimizing the production for the next generation video recording media. In this way we will be enable our customers implementing the highest quality and most efficient production process of CD-RW and DVD+RW media”, says Mr Peter Tinner, General Manager ReWritable, Unaxis.

In addition, Philips is providing DVD+RW disc process knowledge, via its Optical Disc Technology Centre, to companies that produce equipment for manufacturing DVD+RW (DVD ReWritable) discs. The knowledge transfer will include only the following elements: stamper design, Phase Change stack configuration and initialization process.

The objective of this program is to support the disc replicators in producing discs that comply with the specifications of the DVD+RW format. The participants will then be in a position to pass on the knowledge they have gained to their own customers, the manufacturers of the DVD+RW discs themselves.

DVD+RW was developed as the next-generation optical storage technology by Philips and a group of other leading companies in the consumer electronics and PC data storage fields.