Patent EP0159397A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0159397A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multistate optical switching and memory device using an organic charge transfer material
Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
•
Filing: 1984-10-30
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2004-10-30
Abstract
Abstract A multistate organic optical storage medium is disclosed, wherein an optical beam can switch any "data storage spot" on said optical storage medium into three or more memory states. The optical storage medium may consist of a mixture of bistate switching modules, or it may consist of large delocalized amphoteric molecules. The illuminated area of said optical storage medium will undergo an electrochemical topactic redox reaction which will cause certain moieties in the illuminated area to change oxidation state. By changing the intensity of the optical "write" beam the illuminated area can be switched to a plurality of specific states each state having a unique set of oxidation species. An optical/spectroscopic means is used to identify the presence of oxidation species and to "read" the data stored.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard Stanley Potember
- 👤 Theodore Otto Poehler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 15:32
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C13/00; G11C13/0002; G11C13/0009; G11C13/0014; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; G03; G03C; G03C1/00; G03C1/72; G03C1/73; G11B; G11B7/00; G11B7/24; G11B7/241; G11B7/242; G11B7/244; G11C11/00; G11C11/56; G11C11/5664; G11C13/04; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S430/00; Y10S430/001; Y10S430/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 70
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
An optically sensitive apparatus comprising a multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer medium composed of at least two organic compounds, each of said organic compounds containing an electron donor moiety complexed with an organic electron acceptor moiety, wherein each of said at least two organic compounds has a different redox potential so as to switch from a first oxidation state to a second oxidation state in response to the application of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies and at a field strength unique to each of said organic compounds, and wherein the oxidation state of each one of said organic compounds has an identifiably different optical spectrum.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
106 words
An optically sensitive apparatus comprising a multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer medium composed of at least two organic compounds, each of said organic compounds containing an electron donor moiety complexed with an organic electron acceptor moiety, wherein each of said at least two organic compounds has a different redox potential so as to switch from a first oxidation state to a second oxidation state in response to the application of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies and at a field strength unique to each of said organic compounds, and wherein the oxidation state of each one of said organic compounds has an identifiably different optical spectrum.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular one of said organic compounds further comprises an organic electron acceptor moiety selected from the group consisting of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), tetracyanonapthoquinodimethane (TNAP), tetracyanoethylene (TCNE), and 2, 3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1, 4-benzoquinone (DDQ), hexacyanobutalene (HCBD), and 11, 11, 12, 12-tetracyano-1,4 naphthoquinodimethane (benzo TCNQ), and 2,5-bis (dicyanomethalene)-2, 5-dihydrothiophene, and 2,5-bis (dicyanomethylene)-2, 5-selenophene, and thiophene-(T)-TCNQ, and (selenophene (Se)-TCNQ) and tetracyano-quinoquinazolinoquinazoline (TCQQ) and hexacyanotrimethylene cyclopropane (HMCTMCP) and 2,4-bis (dicyanomethylene)-l,3-dithietan (BDDT), and any of the TCNQ derivatives defined by the notation::
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular one of said organic compounds further comprises an electron acceptor moiety selected from the group consist of: TCNQ (OMe) TCNQ (OMe) 2 TCNQ(OMe)(OEt) TCNQ Cl TCNQ Br TCNQ ClMe TCNQ Br Me TCNQ I Me TCNQ I TCNQ (CN) 2 TCNQ (Me) TCNQ (Et) TCNQ (i-Pr).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular one of said organic compounds further comprises an electron donor moiety which is selected from the group consists of copper, silver, lead, nickel, lithium, sodium, potassium, barium, chrome, molydenum, tungsten, cobalt, iron, antimony, cesium, magnesium and having chemical properties which permit formation of an organic salt when complexed with an organic electron acceptor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular one of said organic compounds further comprises an electron donor moiety which is selected from the group consisting of tetrathioethylenes, dithiodiaminoethylenes, dithiodiseleno ethyelenes, tetraminoethylenes, azenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, and aromatic heterocyclics having chemical properties which permit formation of organic salt when complexed with an electron acceptor moiety.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular one of said organic compounds further comprises an electron donor moiety which is selected from the group consisting of silver and copper.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular one of said organic compounds further comprises an organic electron acceptor moiety which is an organic material incorporating at least one cyanomethylene functional group and having the chemical properties which permit formation of an organic salt when complexed with an electron donor moiety.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular one of said organic compounds further comprises an organic electron acceptor moiety which is an organic material incorporating at least one quinolene unit and having the chemical properties which permit formation of an organic salt when complexed with an electron donor moiety.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 1, furhter comprising a source of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies, said electromagnetic energy illuminating an area on said organic charge transfer medium, thereby causing at least one of said organic compounds in said illuminated area to undergo 4 n electrochemical topactic redox reaction in response to said electromagnetic energy and switch from a first oxidation state to a second oxidation state.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a means for varying the field strength of said source of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies to a plurality of particular levels, each particular level unique to a particular one of said organic compounds for causing said organic electron acceptor moiety of a particular one of said organic compounds to switch from a first oxidation state to a second oxidation state.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a spectroscopic means focused on a portion of said organic charge transfer medium, for determining the oxidation state of each of said at least two organic compounds.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a source of thermal energy for initiating a reverse reaction in a section of said organic charge transfer medium for returning at least one of said organic compounds back from the second oxidation state to a first oxidation state.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first oxidation state of each of said organic compounds contains the organic electron acceptor moiety in the radical ion state and wherein said second oxidation state of each of said organic compounds contains the organic electron acceptor moiety in both the radical ion and neutral states.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a spectroscopic means for determining the presence of neutral and radical electron acceptor moiety ions for each of said organic compounds.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electron acceptor moiety of each of said organic compounds is chemically linked, so as to form a single delocalized molecule.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
106 words
An optically sensitive apparatus comprising a multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer medium composed of at least one organic compound, wherein said organic compound contains an electron donor moiety complexed with an organic electron acceptor moiety and wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety has at least two regions having different amphoteric redox properties capable of independently changing oxidation state in response to the application of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies and at a field strength value unique to each of said particular regions of said organic electron acceptor moiety, and wherein the particular oxidation state of each of said regions has an identifiably different optical spectrum.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
106 words
An optically sensitive apparatus comprising a multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer medium composed of at least one organic compound, wherein said organic compound contains an electron donor moiety complexed with an organic electron acceptor moiety and wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety has at least two regions having different amphoteric redox properties capable of independently changing oxidation state in response to the application of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies and at a field strength value unique to each of said particular regions of said organic electron acceptor moiety, and wherein the particular oxidation state of each of said regions has an identifiably different optical spectrum.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic compound comprises an organic delocalized molecule, and wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety has at least two isolated regions, each isolated region capable of independently changing oxidation state in response to the application of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety comprises at least two individual component electron acceptor moieties, each of said component electron acceptor moieties having a different redox potential and each of said component electron acceptor moieties joined together through covalent linkage.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
81 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each of said component electron acceptor moieties is material selected from the group consisting of: tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), tetracyanonapthoquinodimethane (TNAP), tetracyanoethylene ( T C N E), and 2, 3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1, 4-benzoquinone (DD Q ), hexacyanobutalene (HCBD), and 11, 11, 12, 12-tetracyano-1.4 naphthoquinodimethane (benzo TCNQ), and 2,5-bis (dicyanomethylene)-2, 5-dihydrothiophene, and 2,5-bis (dicyanomethylene)-2, 5-selenophene, and thiophene-(T)-TCNQ, and (selenophene (Se)-TCNQ) and tetracyano-quinoquinazolinoquinazoline (TCQQ) and hexacyanotrimethylenecyclopropane (HMCTMCP) and 2,4-bis (dicyanomethylene)-1,3-dithietan (BDDT), and any of the TCNQ derivatives defined by the notation::
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each of said component electron acceptor moieties is a material selected from the group consisting of: TCNQ (OMe) TCNQ (OMe) 2 TCNQ(OMe)(OEt) TCNQ Cl TCNQ Br TCNQ ClMe TCNQ Br Me TCNQ I Me TCNQ I TCNQ (C N ) 2 TCNQ (Me) TCNQ (Et) TCNQ (i-Pr).
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said electron donor moiety is a metal copper, silver, lead, nickel, lithium, sodium, potassium, barium, chrome, molydenum, tungsten, cobalt, iron, antimony, cesium, magnesium and having chemical properties which permit formation of an organic salt when complexed with an organic electron acceptor.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
105 words
An optically sensitive apparatus comprising a multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer medium composed of at least one organic compound, wherein said organic compound contains an organic electron donor moiety complexed with an electron acceptor moiety, wherein said organic electron donor moiety has at least two regions having different amphoteric redox properties capable of independently changing oxidation state in response to the application of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies and at a field strength value unique to each of said particular regions of said organic electron donor moiety, and wherein the particular oxidation state of each of said regions has an identifiably different optical spectrum.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
105 words
An optically sensitive apparatus comprising a multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer medium composed of at least one organic compound, wherein said organic compound contains an organic electron donor moiety complexed with an electron acceptor moiety, wherein said organic electron donor moiety has at least two regions having different amphoteric redox properties capable of independently changing oxidation state in response to the application of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies and at a field strength value unique to each of said particular regions of said organic electron donor moiety, and wherein the particular oxidation state of each of said regions has an identifiably different optical spectrum.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said organic electron donor moiety comprises at least two individual component electron donor moieties, each said component electron donor moieties having a different redox potential and each of said component electron donor moieties joined together through covalent linkage.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said electron donor moiety is an organic material selected from the group consisting of tetrathioethylenes, dithiodiaminoethylenes, dithiodiseleno ethyelenes, tetraminoethylenes, arenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, and aromatic heterocyclics having chemical properties which permit formation of organic salt when complexed with an electron acceptor moiety.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said electron donor moiety is a metal and said metal is selected from the group consisting of silver and copper.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each of said component electron acceptor moieties is an organic material incorporating at least one cyanomethylene functional group and having the chemical properties which permit formation of an organic salt when complexed with an electron donor moiety.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each of said component electron acceptor moieties is an organic material incorporating at least one quinolene unit and having the chemical properties which permit formation of an organic salt when complexed with an electron donor moiety.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus if claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is a derivative of the TCNE radical ion with inserted alkene groups.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is a derivative of the TCNE radical ion with inserted aromatic groups.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-l,4-benzoquinone.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is p-chloranil.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is a two-stage radical ion in which the end groups form part of a cyclic pi-system with exhibited aromatic characteristics in the oxidized state.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is pentacyanopropene.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is methlyne-1,1,2,2, tetracyanopropanediide.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is composed of tetracyanoarenoquinodimethane with an extended pi-system.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is 1,3 squaric acid diamides.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said organic electron acceptor moiety is composed of dicyanomethylidene substituted with quinocyclopropenes.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said electron donor moiety is a polycyclic compound having at least one region of conjugation and wherein at least one ring of said polycyclic compound contains a hetro-atom having at least one unshared pair of electrons.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said electron donor moiety is benzotrithiophene.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said electron donor moiety is a heteroarenes with unabridged nitrogen atoms.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said electron donor moiety is a 4,4'-bipyridium salt.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said electron donor moiety is 4,4'bithiopyran.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said electron donor moiety is 1,2-bis (thioxanthene-9-ylidene) ethene.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said electron donor moiety is a compound defined by the notation: wherein X= substitute electron donor and/or electron acceptor.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a source of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies, said electromagnetic energy illuminating an area on said organic charge transfer medium, thereby causing at least one of said regions of said electron acceptor moiety in said illuminated area to undergo an electrochemical topactic redox reaction in response to said electromagnetic energy and to thereby change oxidation state.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a means for varying the field strength of said source of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies to a plurality of particular levels, each particular level unique to one of said regions of said electron acceptor moiety for causing said particular region to switch from a first oxidation state to a second oxidation state.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a spectroscopic means focused on a portion of said organic charge transfer medium, for determining the oxidation state of each of said regions of said electron acceptor moiety.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising a source of thermal energy for initiating a reverse reaction in A section of said organic charge transfer medium for returning at least one of said regions of said electron acceptor moiety back from the second oxidation state to the first oxidation state.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said change in oxidation state of each of said organic compounds causes an identifiable change to said electrical impedance of an illuminated area of said charge transfer medium.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said change in oxidation state of each of said regions of said electron acceptor moiety causes an identifiable change to the electrical potential of an illuminated area of said charge transfer medium.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the particular oxidation state of each of said organic compounds has a unique Raman absorption spectra, and wherein said spectroscopic means utilizes such Raman absorption spectra to identify the set of oxidation species present in a portion of said charge transfer medium.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the oxidation state for each particular region of said electronic acceptor moiety has a unique Raman absorption spectrum, and wherein said spectroscopic means utilizes such Raman absorption spectra to identify the set of oxidation species present in a portion of said charge transfer medium.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 51 or 52, wherein the particular set of oxidation species detectable by said spectroscopic means uniquely definites the state of said portion of charge transfer medium.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
90 words
The apparatus of claim 53, further comprising: a means for directing a source of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies to a selected one of a plurality of data storage spots on said charge transfer medium; and, a means for varying the field strength of said source of electromagnetic energy at optical frequencies to a particular one of a plurality of levels, each one of said plurality of levels causes said data storage spot to switch to a particular state, each state being identifiable by a unique set of oxidation species.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising a means for directing the spectroscopic means to one of a plurality of data storage spots, and wherein said spectroscopic means identifies the set of oxidation species present in said particular data storage spot, thereby determining the state of said spot and identifying the data stored in said data storage spot.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 55, wherein said spectroscopic means further comprises: an optical read beam for illuminating said particular data storage spot; and, an optical means for collecting light reflected from said particular data storage spot and for measuring the spectral intensity at a plurality of preselected spectral bands.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 56, wherein said optical means measures the spectral intensity at a plurality of preselected Raman bands.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 55, wherein said spectroscopic means detects fluorescence emission from said particular date storage spot.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 56, wherein said spectroscopic means further comprises a detection circuit means for determing the switched state of said particular date storage spot based on the pattern of spectral intensity in said preselected spectral bands.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 56, wherein said source of electromagnetic energy at optical frequences and said optical read beam are a single illuminating beam adjustable to a plurality of intensity levels.
Claim 68
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for optically storing information, comprising the steps of: directing an optical write beam to a particular spot on a multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer film; and, radiating said particular spot at a selected one of a plurality of preset field strength values, so as to switch said particular spot into a particular one of a plurality of states.
Claim 69
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for optically storing information, comprising the steps of: directing an optical write beam to a particular spot on a multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer film; and, radiating said particular spot at a selected one of a plurality of preset field strength values, so as to switch said particular spot into a particular one of a plurality of states.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 61, further comprising the steps of: illuminating a particular data spot on said multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer film at an intensity below the lowest switching threshold of said material; collecting light reflected from said particular data spot; measuring the spectral intensity of said reflected light at predetermined spectral bands; and, assigning a switched state to said particular data spot based on the pattern of spectral intensity in said predetermined spectral bands.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 62, wherein said predetermined spectral bands are Raman bands.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 61 or 62, further comprising the step of: applying thermal energy to a portion of said multistate optically sensitive organic charge transfer film to return said portion back to a more thermodynamically stable state.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 64, wherein said thermal energy is provided by an optical beam.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 64, wherein said thermal energy is provided by an electrical heating element.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.