Imaging apparatus and methods utilizing scannable microlaser source

Claim 2

A thin film metal alloy rigid magnetic recording disk comprising: a substrate; a magnetic layer comprising a cobalt-based alloy formed over the substrate; and a protective overcoat formed over the magnetic layer, the ovrcoat being a film having a substantially planar surface and comprising primarily carbon in the essentially amorphous form and one or more of tungsten (W) or tungsten carbide (WC) distributed throughout and embedded within the carbon, the tungsten as temperature carbide being present in the carbon in the range of approximatley 4 to approximately 12 atomic percent and in the form of clusters which project above the substantially planar surface of the overcoat film.

Claim 3

In apparatus according to claim 1, the further improvement wherein ones of said microlasers are addressable by electrical excitations in an excitation scanning pattern, and further comprising excitation means, in electrical communication with said light source elements, for generating time-variant electrical excitations and addressing said electrical excitations to ones of the light source elements in a excitation scanning pattern.

Claim 4

In apparatus according to claim 2, the further improvement wherein said microlasers are addressable in a raster excitation pattern, and said excitation means addresses said electrical excitations to ones of the microlasers in a raster excitation pattern.

Claim 5

In apparatus according to claim 2, the further improvement wherein said microlasers are addressable in a random-access excitation pattern, and said excitation means addresses said electrical excitations to ones of the microlasers in a random-access excitation pattern.

Claim 6

In apparatus according to claim 2, the further improvement wherein said detecting means comprises light collector means for collecting said light resulting from any of light scattering, light reflection, or light transmission from the object, and for directing said collected light onto an image plane, and transducer means for converting said collected light into an electrical signal.

Claim 7

An improved contact start/stop (CSS) magnetic recording rigid disk file wherein the improvement comprises at least one thin film metal alloy magnetic recording disk having a protective overcoat with a substantially planar surface and comprising essentially amorphous carbon or essentially amorphous hydrogenated carbon, the overcoat containing approximately 4 to approximately 12 atomci percent tungsten or tungsten carbide present as clusters which project above the substantially planar surface of the overcoat.

Claim 8

An improved contact start/stop (CSS) magnetic recording rigid disk file wherein the improvement comprises at least one thin film metal alloy magnetic recording disk having a protective overcoat with a substantially planar surface and comprising essentially amorphous carbon or essentially amorphous hydrogenated carbon, the overcoat containing approximately 4 to approximately 12 atomci percent tungsten or tungsten carbide present as clusters which project above the substantially planar surface of the overcoat.

Claim 9

In apparatus according to claim 5, the further improvement wherein said transducer means includes an avalanche photodiode.

Claim 10

In apparatus according to claim 5, the further improvement wherein said transducer means includes a plurality of independently selectable photosensitive regions, and means for selecting said independently selectable photosensitive regions substantially synchronously with the excitation scanning pattern.

Claim 11

In apparatus according to claim 8, the further improvement wherein said transducer means includes an image dissector.

Claim 12

In apparatus according to claim 8, the further improvement wherein said detector array includes an array of photodiodes.

Claim 13

In apparatus according to claim 8, the further improvement wherein said detector array includes a multi-anode micro-channel array.

Claim 14

In apparatus according to claim 8, the further improvement wherein said detector array includes a non-integrating charge-storing photoelectric semiconductor array having independently read-addressable regions.

Claim 15

In apparatus according to claim 5, the further improvement wherein said transducer means includes means for converting said collected light into video-level electrical signals, and further comprising video display electrical communication with said transducer means, for displaying a video image representative of said collected light, in response to said video-level electrical signals.

Claim 18

In apparatus for generating non-overlapping beams of coherent an image of an object, the improvement comprising illumination means for generating light, said illumination means including an array means, said array means including an array of independently addressable microlasers for generating light in response to electrical excitations addressed to any of the microlasers, said microlasers being addressable by electrical excitations in an excitation scanning pattern, excitation means, in electrical communication with said microlasers, for generating time-variant electrical excitations and addressing said electrical excitations to ones of the microlasers in an excitation scanning pattern, said excitation means addressing said electrical excitations simultaneously to more than one of said microlasers, focusing means for directing said light generated by the illumination means onto the object, and detecting means for detecting light resulting from any of light scattering, light reflection, or light transmission from the object when the object is illuminated by said light generated by said illumination means and directed by said focusing means onto the object.

Claim 19

In apparatus for generating non-overlapping beams of coherent an image of an object, the improvement comprising illumination means for generating light, said illumination means including an array means, said array means including an array of independently addressable microlasers for generating light in response to electrical excitations addressed to any of the microlasers, said microlasers being addressable by electrical excitations in an excitation scanning pattern, excitation means, in electrical communication with said microlasers, for generating time-variant electrical excitations and addressing said electrical excitations to ones of the microlasers in an excitation scanning pattern, said excitation means addressing said electrical excitations simultaneously to more than one of said microlasers, focusing means for directing said light generated by the illumination means onto the object, and detecting means for detecting light resulting from any of light scattering, light reflection, or light transmission from the object when the object is illuminated by said light generated by said illumination means and directed by said focusing means onto the object.

Claim 20

In apparatus according to claim 15, the further improvement wherein said microlasers are addressable in a raster excitation pattern, and said excitation means addresses said electrical excitations to the microlasers in a raster excitation pattern.

Claim 21

In apparatus according to claim 15, the further improvement wherein said microlasers are addressable in a random-access excitation pattern, and said excitation means addresses said electrical excitations to the microlasers in a random-access excitation pattern.

Claim 22

In apparatus according to claim 15, the further improvement wherein said detecting means comprises light collector means for collecting said light resulting from any of light scattering, light reflection, or light transmission from the object, and for directing said collected light onto an image plane, and transducer means, located substantially in said image plane, for converting said collected light into an electrical signal.

Claim 23

In apparatus according to claim 18, the further improvement wherein said transducer means includes a plurality of independently selectable photosensitive regions, and means for selecting said independently selectable photosensitive regions substantially synchronously with the excitation scanning pattern.

Claim 24

In apparatus according to claim 19, the further improvement wherein said transducer means includes an image dissector.

Claim 25

In apparatus according to claim 19, the further improvement wherein said detector array includes an array of photodiodes.

Claim 26

In apparatus according to claim 19, the further improvement wherein said detector array includes a multi-anode micro-channel array.

Claim 27

In apparatus according to claim 19, the further improvement wherein said detector array includes a non-integrating charge-storing photoelectric semiconductor array having independently read-addressable regions.

Claim 28

In apparatus according to claim 19, the further improvement wherein said transducer means includes means for converting said collected light into video-level electrical signals, and further comprising video display means, in electrical communication with said transducer means, for displaying a video image representative of said collected light, in response to said video-level electrical signals.

Claim 31

In apparatus according to claim 4, the further improvement wherein said excitation means includes means for controlling said excitation pattern to reduce the brightness of brighter areas of the image, so that light bleaching is reduced.

Claim 32

In apparatus for generating an image of an object, the improvement comprising scannable illumination means for generating light, said scannable illumination means including a laser for generating non-overlapping beams of coherent light in response to electrical excitations addressed to said laser, excitation means, in electrical communication with said laser, for generating time-variant electrical excitations and addressing said electrical excitations to said laser in an excitation scanning pattern, and multiplexing means, coupled to said excitation means and said scannable illumination means, for multiplexing said light generated by said laser to generate a time-variant array of laser beams, focusing means for directing said light generated by said illumination means onto the object, and detecting means for detecting light resulting from any of light scattering, light reflection, or light transmission from the object when the object is illuminated by said light generated by said scannable illumination means and directed by said focusing means onto the object.

Claim 33

In apparatus for generating an image of an object, the improvement comprising scannable illumination means for generating light, said scannable illumination means including a laser for generating non-overlapping beams of coherent light in response to electrical excitations addressed to said laser, excitation means, in electrical communication with said laser, for generating time-variant electrical excitations and addressing said electrical excitations to said laser in an excitation scanning pattern, and multiplexing means, coupled to said excitation means and said scannable illumination means, for multiplexing said light generated by said laser to generate a time-variant array of laser beams, focusing means for directing said light generated by said illumination means onto the object, and detecting means for detecting light resulting from any of light scattering, light reflection, or light transmission from the object when the object is illuminated by said light generated by said scannable illumination means and directed by said focusing means onto the object.

Claim 34

In apparatus according to claim 27, the further improvement wherein said multiplexing means includes beam splitter means, optically coupled to said laser, for generating a plurality of laser beams from said light generated by said laser.

Claim 35

In apparatus according to claim 27, the further improvement wherein said multiplexing means includes diffraction means, optically coupled to said laser, for diffracting said light generated by said laser through a selected angle of diffraction.

Claim 36

In apparatus according to claim 27, the further improvement comprising array scanning means, coupled to said multiplexing means, for scanning said array of laser beams over a selected scan angle.