Optical scanning device

This invention relates to an optical scanning device for scanning an optical record carrier, such as an optical disk, comprising at least one information layer, the device comprising a radiation source for generating a radiation beam and a compound objective lens system located in an optical path between the radiation source and the record carrier for converging the radiation beam to a spot on an information layer. An optical scanning device has a three element compound objective lens where a dual lens objective lens system is combined with a solid immersion lens to form an ultra high numerical aperture compound objective lens capable of reading from different information layers in a multilayer optical record carrier.