DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING RECORDING MEDIUM, AND DEFECT DETECTION METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly execute at least one of recording and reproducing of information in a recording medium. SOLUTION: A laser beam emitted from the light source 510 of a pickup 500 is diffracted to be an RF signal light, a focus signal light, a tracking signal light or a defect detection light by the diffraction grating 522 of a diffraction element 520. The defect detection light is converged in a position where the its writing/reading order is after the RF signal during information recording/reproducing, and a defect is detected before actual information writing or reading. When information is written or read with respect to the position of the detected defect, tracking servo or focus servo is held. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI