Static information storage and retrieval – Read/write circuit – Optical
Patent
1998-06-29
2000-05-16
Phan, Trong
Static information storage and retrieval
Read/write circuit
Optical
3692751, G11C 700, G11B 7013
Patent
active
060646152
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns an optical memory element wherein data are written and read by means of light incident on the memory element. The invention also concerns methods for manufacturing optical memory elements wherein data are written and read by means of light incident on the memory element. The invention further concerns an optical memory module, wherein the memory module comprises two or more memory elements wherein data are written and read by means of light incident to the memory element, and wherein the memory elements are produced by one of the methods according to the invention. Finally, the invention concerns a method for manufacturing an optical memory module, wherein the memory module comprises two or more memory elements wherein data are written and read by means of light incident to the memory elements, and wherein the memory elements are produced by one of the methods according to the invention.
BACKGROUN OF THE INVENTION
Optical storage methods for storing data and information have gradually become more and more widespread and in a number of areas of application have ousted data storage media based on magnetic film, but have also been employed for storage purposes where the use of magnetic storage media is not practical, but where there is nevertheless a requirement for large storage capacity, high storage density and rapid access.
For instance international published application WO91/11804 discloses an optical data storage medium with light focusing parts in the form of preferably monodisperse transparent spheres with a diameter in the range of 1-100 .mu.m micrometer. These spheres focus incident light onto a light sensitive layer or burn film with changeable optical properties, said burn film forming a plane substantially tangential to the microspheres and hence not coincident with the imaging surfaces or focal planes thereof. In a preferred embodiment WO91/11804 proposes to overcome this disadvantage by locating the microspheres in pits and providing burn-film at the bottom of the pits at some distance from the microsphere, while shaping the bottom of the pit like a part of a spherical surface concentric with the microsphere located in the pit such that ideal focusing on the burn-film is achieved for all angle of incidence. This arrangement is, however, difficult to achieve in a manufacturing environment without resorting to costly alignment and corrective measures in order to obtain the desired shape of the pit bottom.
International published application WO93/13529 discloses an optical memory wherein data is stored in an optical layer 19 with changeable optical properties. This data layer 19 is spaced apart from an array of multisurface imaging lenslets 21 and writing of data in the data layer takes place by guiding light from recording light sources via a beam splitter and through optical means including the lenslet array and onto the data layer. For reading data stored in the data layer, the data layer is illuminated by a different set of light sources and imaged through the same optical means including the lens array 21 and onto a sensor array located on the opposite side of the beam splitter. In contrast with optical data storage medium of WO91/11804, the optical memory of WO93/13529 provides a rather voluminous memory module and involves a rather complicated optical arrangement in order to address the data storage medium proper.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide optical storage media with high storage capacity and permitting rapid access to the stored data. A second object of the present invention is to provide components for optical storage media, with the aim of producing the components cheaply and efficiently partly by means of known technology and methods and employing the components in large capacity optical storage media.
A further object of the present invention is to provide methods for manufacturing components for optical storage media and production of such storage media, of which the said components f
Phan Trong
Thin Film Electronics ASA
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