Pioneer Corporation has revealed that it has successfully developed the world's first 16-layer optical disc. This disc can hold up to 400 gigabytes of data with a per layer capacity of 25 GB (around the size of a Blu-Ray Disc).

If you've been following the developments of multi-layer discs, then you probably know that one of the problems with its development has to do with obtaining clear signals from each recording layer due to crosstalk. Pioneer has solved these problems in their new 16-layer disc using a disc structure which reduces cross talk from adjacent layers.

The read-out system on the other hand achieves stability via a wide-range spherical aberration compensator and light-receiving element that can read weak signals with a high signal-to-noise ratio in the optical pick-up mechanism. Interestingly enough, the optical specifications of the lens itself are the same as those for existing Blu-ray discs, meaning it is possible to have it compatible with the existing format.

Pioneer will be presenting the details of their findings at the International Symposium on Optical Memory and Optical Data Storage 2008 which will be held from July 13 in Hawaii. We can probably expect to hear more about this new technology when that happens.