Method of and apparatus for removing debris from the floptical medium

Claim 1

A method of removing debris from a floptical medium after laser etching, comprising the steps of: a) mounting said floptical medium on a chuck having a thermal mass, a laser-etched surface of said floptical medium being placed distally to said chuck; b) rotating said chuck and said floptical medium at a predetermined angular velocity; c) spraying a low-temperature gas containing ice crystals onto a surface of said rotating floptical medium until said debris are substantially removed, said ice crystals colliding with said debris on said rotating floptical medium and causing said debris to depart from said floptical medium, and d) maintaining said rotating floptical medium above a freezing temperature during step c), said thermal mass of said chuck being substantially larger than that of said floptical medium, said thermal mass preventing said rotating floptical medium from being frozen during said debris removal.

Claim 2

A method of removing debris from a floptical medium after laser etching, comprising the steps of: a) mounting said floptical medium on a chuck having a thermal mass, a laser-etched surface of said floptical medium being placed distally to said chuck; b) rotating said chuck and said floptical medium at a predetermined angular velocity; c) spraying a low-temperature gas containing ice crystals onto a surface of said rotating floptical medium until said debris are substantially removed, said ice crystals colliding with said debris on said rotating floptical medium and causing said debris to depart from said floptical medium, and d) maintaining said rotating floptical medium above a freezing temperature during step c), said thermal mass of said chuck being substantially larger than that of said floptical medium, said thermal mass preventing said rotating floptical medium from being frozen during said debris removal.

Claim 9

A method recited in any one of claims 5-7 wherein said floptical medium is a floptical disk, said floptical disk having stitches said debris remaining in said stitches prior to said spraying, said spraying traversing from an inside to outside radius, each stitch being sprayed by said gas for at least several times.

Claim 13

A method of removing microscopic debris from a floptical disk after creating stitches by laser etching, comprising the steps of: a) mounting said floptical disk on a chuck having a thermal mass, a surface containing said stitches being placed distally to said chuck; b) rotating said chuck and said floptical disk at a predetermined angular velocity; and c) spraying a low-temperature gas containing ice crystals onto said surface of said rotating floptical disk, said spraying traversing from an inside to outside radius, each stitch being sprayed by said gas for a predetermined number of repetitions until said microscopic debris are substantially removed, said ice crystals colliding with said microscopic debris left in said stitches and causing said microscopic debris to be removed from said stitches; and d) maintaining said rotating floptical disk above a freezing temperature during step c), said thermal mass of said chuck being substantially larger than that of said floptical disk, said thermal mass preventing said rotating floptical disk from being frozen during said microscopic debris removal.

Claim 14

A method of removing microscopic debris from a floptical disk after creating stitches by laser etching, comprising the steps of: a) mounting said floptical disk on a chuck having a thermal mass, a surface containing said stitches being placed distally to said chuck; b) rotating said chuck and said floptical disk at a predetermined angular velocity; and c) spraying a low-temperature gas containing ice crystals onto said surface of said rotating floptical disk, said spraying traversing from an inside to outside radius, each stitch being sprayed by said gas for a predetermined number of repetitions until said microscopic debris are substantially removed, said ice crystals colliding with said microscopic debris left in said stitches and causing said microscopic debris to be removed from said stitches; and d) maintaining said rotating floptical disk above a freezing temperature during step c), said thermal mass of said chuck being substantially larger than that of said floptical disk, said thermal mass preventing said rotating floptical disk from being frozen during said microscopic debris removal.

Claim 24

An apparatus for removing debris from a floptical medium after etching comprising: rotating means; a chuck connected to said rotating means for rotating said floptical medium at a predetermined angular velocity, an etched surface of said floptical medium being placed distally to said chuck, said chuck having a thermal mass; and a sprayer adjustably disposed over said etched surface of said rotating floptical medium for spraying a low-temperature gas containing ice crystals onto said rotating etched surface, said ice crystals colliding with said debris and causing said debris to depart from said rotating etched surface, said thermal mass of said chuck being substantially larger than that of said floptical medium, said thermal mass preventing said rotating floptical medium from being frozen during said debris removal; position adjustment means connected to said sprayer for moving said sprayer in a predetermined path at a predetermined speed over said rotating floptical medium, said rotating etched surface being sprayed by said gas for a predetermined number of repetitions; and means, mounted to said position adjustment means, for angularly adjusting said sprayer independently about two separate axes, to allow adjustment in a circumferential as well as a radial direction with respect to said etched surface.

Claim 25

An apparatus for removing debris from a floptical medium after etching comprising: rotating means; a chuck connected to said rotating means for rotating said floptical medium at a predetermined angular velocity, an etched surface of said floptical medium being placed distally to said chuck, said chuck having a thermal mass; and a sprayer adjustably disposed over said etched surface of said rotating floptical medium for spraying a low-temperature gas containing ice crystals onto said rotating etched surface, said ice crystals colliding with said debris and causing said debris to depart from said rotating etched surface, said thermal mass of said chuck being substantially larger than that of said floptical medium, said thermal mass preventing said rotating floptical medium from being frozen during said debris removal; position adjustment means connected to said sprayer for moving said sprayer in a predetermined path at a predetermined speed over said rotating floptical medium, said rotating etched surface being sprayed by said gas for a predetermined number of repetitions; and means, mounted to said position adjustment means, for angularly adjusting said sprayer independently about two separate axes, to allow adjustment in a circumferential as well as a radial direction with respect to said etched surface.

Claim 35

An apparatus for removing microscopic debris after laser etching comprising: a floptical disk having stitches created by laser etching, microscopic debris being left in said stitches and on a surface of said floptical disk; rotating means; a chuck connected, to said rotating means for rotating said floptical disk, said surface containing said stitches being placed distally to said chuck, said chuck having a thermal mass; a sprayer adjustably disposed over said stitched surface of said rotating floptical disk for spraying a low-temperature gas containing ice crystals onto said rotating stitched surface at a predetermined angle with respect to said rotating stitched surface, at a predetermined distance from said rotating stitched surface and in a predetermined direction with respect to that of said rotating stitched surface, said ice crystals colliding with said debris and causing said debris to depart from said rotating stitched surface, said thermal mass preventing said rotating floptical medium from being frozen during said debris removal; sprayer angle adjustment means connected to said sprayer for varying an angle of said sprayer with respect to said etched surface; low pressure means connected to a low pressure source and placed near said rotating floptical disk for further transporting said departed debris from said rotating floptical disk towards said low pressure means; position adjustment means connected to said sprayer for moving said sprayer in a predetermined path at a predetermined speed over said rotating floptical disk, each stitch being sprayed by said gas for a predetermined number of repetitions and means, mounted to said position adjustment means; for angularly adjusting said sprayer independently about two separate axes, to allow adjustment in a circumferential as well as a radial direction with respect to said etched surface.

Claim 36

An apparatus for removing microscopic debris after laser etching comprising: a floptical disk having stitches created by laser etching, microscopic debris being left in said stitches and on a surface of said floptical disk; rotating means; a chuck connected, to said rotating means for rotating said floptical disk, said surface containing said stitches being placed distally to said chuck, said chuck having a thermal mass; a sprayer adjustably disposed over said stitched surface of said rotating floptical disk for spraying a low-temperature gas containing ice crystals onto said rotating stitched surface at a predetermined angle with respect to said rotating stitched surface, at a predetermined distance from said rotating stitched surface and in a predetermined direction with respect to that of said rotating stitched surface, said ice crystals colliding with said debris and causing said debris to depart from said rotating stitched surface, said thermal mass preventing said rotating floptical medium from being frozen during said debris removal; sprayer angle adjustment means connected to said sprayer for varying an angle of said sprayer with respect to said etched surface; low pressure means connected to a low pressure source and placed near said rotating floptical disk for further transporting said departed debris from said rotating floptical disk towards said low pressure means; position adjustment means connected to said sprayer for moving said sprayer in a predetermined path at a predetermined speed over said rotating floptical disk, each stitch being sprayed by said gas for a predetermined number of repetitions and means, mounted to said position adjustment means; for angularly adjusting said sprayer independently about two separate axes, to allow adjustment in a circumferential as well as a radial direction with respect to said etched surface.