Stacked film reflective layers for multi-layer optical data storage
View Patent ↗A component comprising a stacked interleaved film structure that includes a plurality of layers inert to light. Alternating layers are either doped with a reverse saturable absorber (RSA) material or the RSA material is located between the adjacent inert layers. In some embodiments, the inert alternating layers have different refractive indices. A data storage device and methods of manufacture are also disclosed.
1. A device, comprising:
a first layer substantially inert to light, wherein the first layer comprises a first refractive index;
a second layer substantially inert to light and disposed on the first layer, wherein the second layer comprises a second refractive index; and
a third layer disposed on the second layer, wherein the third layer comprises a reverse saturable absorber (RSA) material.
2. The device of claim 1 , comprising a fourth layer substantially inert to light and disposed on the third layer, wherein the fourth layer comprises the first refractive index.
3. The device of claim 2 , comprising a fifth layer substantially inert to light and disposed on the fourth layer, wherein the fifth layer comprises the second refractive index.
4. The device of claim 3 , comprising a sixth layer disposed on the fifth layer, wherein the sixth layer comprises the RSA material.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the third layer comprises a modified portion, and wherein the modified portion is configured to reflect scattered light as an indication that data is not stored at the modified portion of the third layer.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the third layer comprises a non-modified portion, and wherein the non-modified portion is configured to reflect substantially parallel light as an indication that data is stored at the non-modified portion of the third layer.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the RSA material comprises a metal phthalocyanine, a subphthalocyanine, a porphyrin, a platinum ethynyl based dye, or a combination thereof.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first refractive index is not equal to the second refractive index.
9. The device of claim 1 , comprising:
a first plurality of layers including the first refractive index and a second plurality of layers including the second refractive index; and
a third plurality of layers comprising the RSA material, wherein each of the third plurality of layers is interposed between a respective one of the first plurality of layers and a respective one of the second plurality of layers.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises a thickness substantially equal to a thickness of the second layer.
11. An optical storage device, comprising:
a substrate; and
a stack disposed on the substrate, wherein the stack comprises:
a first layer substantially inert to light, wherein the first layer comprises a first refractive index;
a second layer substantially inert to light and disposed on the first layer, wherein the second layer comprises a second refractive index; and
a third layer interposed between the first layer and the second layer, wherein the third layer comprises a reverse saturable absorber (RSA) material.
12. The optical storage device of claim 11 , wherein the first layer comprises a poly(alkyl methacrylate), a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), a polyvinyl alcohol, a poly(alkyl acrylate), a polystyrene, a polycarbonate, a poly(vinylidene chloride), a poly(vinylacetate), a poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene), a poly(vinylpyrrolidone), a styrene-acrylonitrile, or any combination thereof.
13. The optical storage device of claim 11 , wherein the second layer comprises a poly(alkyl methacrylate), a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), a polyvinyl alcohol, a poly(alkyl acrylate), a polystyrene, a polycarbonate, a poly(vinylidene chloride), a poly(vinylacetate), a poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene), a poly(vinylpyrrolidone), a styrene-acrylonitrile, or any combination thereof.
14. The optical storage device of claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises a coating disposed on at least one of a front surface and a back surface of the substrate.
15. The optical storage device of claim 14 , wherein the coating comprises a barrier coating, an anti-reflection coating, an anti-scratch coating, or a combination thereof.
16. The optical storage device of claim 11 , wherein each of the first layer and the second layer comprises a thickness between approximately 20 nanometers (nm) and approximately 500 nm.
17. The optical storage device of claim 11 , wherein each of the RSA layer comprises a thickness of less than approximately 5 nanometers (nm).
18. The optical storage device of claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises a moldable non-photopolymer plastic substrate.
19. A method of forming an optical data storage medium, comprising:
disposing a first layer comprising a first refractive index over a substrate, wherein the first layer is substantially nonreactive to light;
disposing a second layer comprising a second refractive index over the first layer, wherein the second layer is substantially nonreactive to light; and
interposing a reverse saturable absorber (RSA) layer between the first layer and the second layer.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein disposing the second layer over the first layer comprises adhering the second layer to the first layer.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein interposing the RSA layer between the first layer and the second layer comprises doping at least a portion of the second layer with an RSA material.
22. The method of claim 19 , comprising forming a modified portion of the RSA layer, wherein the modified portion is configured to reflect scattered light as an indication of whether data is stored on the optical data storage medium.
23. The method of claim 19 , comprising disposing a coating on a surface of the substrate.
24. A method for reading data from a data disk, comprising:
impinging a reading beam on the data disk, wherein the data disk comprises a first layer including a first refractive index and a second layer including a second refractive index, and wherein the second layer comprises a reverse saturable absorber (RSA) material; and
detecting light reflected from the second layer, wherein detecting the light comprises detecting whether data is stored on the data disk.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein detecting whether data is stored on the data disk comprises detecting whether the light reflected from the second layer comprises a substantially scattered orientation or a substantially parallel orientation.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the data is stored on the data disk when the light reflected from the second layer comprises the substantially parallel orientation.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the data is not stored on the data disk when the light reflected from the second layer comprises the substantially scattered orientation.
28. The method of claim 24 , comprising impinging a recording beam on the data disk to store data to the data disk.