Apparatus for patterning recording media
View Patent ↗A method for patterning a recording medium selectively thermally couples a recording medium and a heat source to alter a chemical composition of the recording medium. An apparatus for patterning a recording medium has a heat source for generating and directing an incident thermal wave to a recording medium so as to alter a chemical composition of the recording medium, and a controller for coordinating a mutual position of the incident thermal wave and the recording medium for inducing a direct thermal coupling between the recording medium and the heat source.
1. An apparatus for patterning a recording medium, comprising:
a heat source for generating and directing an incident thermal wave to the recording medium said thermal wave altering a chemical composition of a recording medium; and
a controller for coordinating a mutual position of said incident thermal wave and said recording medium so as to thermally couple said heat source and said recording medium.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said heat source comprises:
a heating plate for developing a thermal energy field which couples said heat source to said recording medium; and
a heat sink connected to said heating plate.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said heating plate comprises a tip for concentrating and directing a thermal energy.
4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an optical waveguide coupled to said heat sink, for carrying a focused laser beam.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said optical waveguide comprises an optical fiber.
6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said optical waveguide comprises a planar optical waveguide.
7. The apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a resistive heating element thermally coupled to said heat sink.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said heat source comprises an atomic force microscope probe.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said heat source comprises one of a nanoheater and a near-field thermal probe.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controller coordinates said mutual position of said incident thermal wave and said recording medium to induce a direct thermal coupling that subsumes at least one portion of a thermal near-field.
11. A read/write head assembly, comprising:
a read/write head;
a heat source connected to said read/write head for generating and directing an incident thermal wave to a recording medium, said thermal wave altering a chemical composition of the recording medium; and
a controller for coordinating a mutual position of said incident thermal wave and said recording medium so as to thermally couple said heat source and said recording medium.
12. The read/write head assembly according to claim 11 , wherein heat source comprises one of a nanoheater and a near field thermal probe.
13. The read/write head assembly according to claim 11 , wherein said chemical composition is altered according to a predetermined pattern, and wherein said heat source patterns said recording medium during a read/write operation of said read/write head assembly.