High capacity digital data storage by transmission of radiant energy through arrays of small diameter holes

1. A method for making a storage medium having data stored thereon, the method comprising:

forming a first layer, the first layer being substantially transparent to a first radiant energy of a predetermined optical wavelength used for reading the data;

forming a second layer on the first layer which is substantially opaque to said first radiant energy; and

forming a pattern comprising a plurality of holes in the second layer, at least one of the holes having a largest dimension which is greater than said predetermined optical wavelength, the data being stored as the presence or absence of a hole in the pattern;

wherein said first radiant energy passes through said first layer and said second layer at substantially the same said predetermined optical wavelength.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is polycarbonate formed by a casting process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second layer is a metalization coating formed by sputtering the metalization on the first layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes are formed in a circular shape and the largest dimension is a diameter of the circular shaped holes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of the plurality of holes are arranged along a helix beginning near a center of the storage media and extending spirally outward, each successive pass of the helix being separated from a previous pass of the helix by a track pitch.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of holes are formed in a circular shape and the largest dimension is a diameter of the circular shaped holes, the diameter of the holes being in a range of about 30 to 100 nanometers.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein a distance between successive holes is in a range of about 30 to 100 nanometers.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the track pitch is about 100 nanometers.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of holes are formed in a circular shape and the largest dimension is a diameter of the circular shaped holes, the diameter of the holes being about 50 nanometers, a distance between successive holes being about 100 nanometers, and the track pitch being about 100 nanometers.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of holes are formed in a circular shape and the largest dimension is a diameter of the circular shaped holes, the diameter of the holes being about 30 nanometers, a distance between successive holes is about 60 nanometers, and the track pitch being about 100 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a third layer on the second layer, the third layer being substantially transparent to the first radiant energy.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the storage media in a circular shape and having a data storage area having an inner diameter of about 25 millimeters and an outer diameter of about 115 millimeters.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes are formed by x-ray lithography.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes are formed by melting material in the second layer.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes are formed by ablating material in the second layer.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes are formed by a second radiant energy having a wavelength less than a wavelength of the first radiant energy.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second radiant energy is selected from a group consisting of ultraviolet light, x-rays, and electron beams.

18. A method for making a storage medium having data stored thereon, the method comprising:

forming a first layer, the first layer being substantially transparent to a first radiant energy of a predetermined optical wavelength used for reading the data;

forming a second layer on the first layer which is substantially opaque to said first radiant energy; and

forming a pattern comprising a plurality of holes in the second layer, at least one of the holes having a largest dimension which is greater than said predetermined optical wavelength, the data being stored as the presence or absence of a hole in the pattern;

wherein the pattern of the plurality of holes are arranged along a helix beginning near a center of the storage media and extending spirally outward, each successive pass of the helix being separated from a previous pass of the helix by a track pitch, wherein the track pitch is about 100 nanometers.

19. A method for making a storage medium having data stored thereon, the method comprising:

forming a first layer, the first layer being substantially transparent to a first radiant energy of a predetermined optical wavelength used for reading the data;

forming a second layer on the first layer which is substantially opaque to said first radiant energy;

forming a pattern comprising a plurality of holes in the second layer, at least one of the holes having a largest dimension which is greater than said predetermined optical wavelength, the data being stored as the presence or absence of a hole in the pattern; and

forming a third layer on the second layer, the third layer being substantially transparent to the first radiant energy.

20. A method for making a storage medium having data stored thereon, the method comprising:

forming a first layer, the first layer being substantially transparent to a first radiant energy of a predetermined optical wavelength used for reading the data;

forming a second layer on the first layer which is substantially opaque to said first radiant energy; and

forming a pattern comprising a plurality of holes in the second layer, at least one of the holes having a largest dimension which is greater than said predetermined optical wavelength, the data being stored as the presence or absence of a hole in the pattern;

wherein the plurality of holes are formed by a second radiant energy having a wavelength less than said predetermined optical wavelength.