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EP0466670A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

System and method for optical phase change recording

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1991-06-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-06-20
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Abstract

Abstract An optical phase change medium (100) comprises a substrate (102), an active layer (104) having a crystalline and a liquid state, a dielectric layer (106) and a reflective layer (108). The active layer is of a thickness which will transmit incident light. The dielectric layer is of a thickness such that light passing through the active layer is reflected by the reflective layer and destructively interferes with the incident light reflected directly off of the active layer, thereby causing the crystalline state of the active layer to absorb more light than the liquid state. The result is that the medium experiences reduced temperature during writing.

Inventors

  • 👤 Martin Yu-Wen Chen
  • 👤 Kurt Allan Rubin

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 05:31
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B7/00; G11B7/24; G11B7/241; G11B7/252; G11B7/257; G11B7/004; G11B7/0055; G11B7/00557; G11B7/242; G11B7/243; G11B7/258; G11B2007/24302; G11B2007/24312; G11B2007/24316; G11B7/253; G11B7/2531; G11B7/2585; G11B7/259

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 79 words
An optical recording medium comprising: an active layer comprised of a material capable of undergoing a change between a first state and a second state, said second state having a bulk reflectivity greater than said first state, characterized by a dielectric layer overlying the active layer, said dielectric layer having a thickness such that said first state has a higher reflectivity than said second state for light incident on the medium, and a reflective layer overlying the dielectric layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 19 words
The medium as claimed in claim 1 further including: a substrate located on one side of the active layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
The medium as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the active layer is converted from said second state to said first state by a change in temperature.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 23 words
The medium as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second states are a noncrystalline state and a crystalline state respectively.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 61 words
The medium as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the dielectric layer overlaying the active layer is substantially transparent, and is of a thickness such that light passing through the active layer is reflected by the reflective layer and destructively interferes with light reflected off of the active layer so that said noncrystalline state reflects more light than said crystalline state.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 18 words
The medium as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the active layer is comprised of a chalcogenide material.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 27 words
The medium as claimed in any of claims 4-6, wherein the absorption of the noncrystalline state divided by the absorption of the crystalline state is approximately 0.6.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 31 words
The medium as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the dielectric layer thickness is such that the difference in reflectivity of said noncrystalline state and said crystalline state is a maximum.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 26 words
The medium as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the active layer is approximately 100 Å thick and the dielectric layer is approximately 1750 Å thick.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 24 words
The medium as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the active layer is made of (GeTe)₈₅Sn₁₅ and the dielectric layer is Made of glass.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 79 words
A method for making an optical recording media comprising the steps of: depositing an active layer onto a substrate, said active layer made of a material having a noncrystalline state and a crystalline state; depositing a dielectric layer onto said active layer, the thickness of said dielectric layer being such that said noncrystalline state of said active layer will reflect more light than said crystalline state of said active layer; and depositing a reflective layer onto said dielectric layer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method as claimed in claim 11, further including the steps of: prior to depositing an active layer, depositing an undercoat layer onto said substrate; and attaching an overcoat layer onto said reflective layer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein said dielectric layer thickness is such that the difference in reflectivity of said noncrystalline state and said crystalline state is approximately at a maximum.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 141 words
An optical data recording disk drive system comprising: a recording medium comprising a substrate, an active layer of a material having a noncrystalline state and a crystalline state overlying said substrate , a dielectric layer overlying said active layer, and a reflective layer overlying said dielectric layer, wherein said dielectric layer is of a thickness such that said noncrystalline state reflects more light than said crystalline state; light generating means for producing a collimated first beam of light; optical transmission means for directing said first beam of light to the medium; optical separation means for receiving said first beam of light and a reflected beam of light from the medium and separating said first beam from said reflected beam; and photodetector means for receiving said reflected beam of light from the optical separation means and generating a data signal responsive thereto.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 21 words
The system as claimed in claim 14 further including: an inverter connected to the photodetector means for inverting said data signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 30 words
The system as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the optical transmission means and the optical separation means comprise a polarizing beam splitter, a quarter-wave plate and a lens.

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