The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 13, 1981
Filed:
Jan. 26, 1979
Richard B Stephens, New Providence, NJ (US);
Exxon Research & Engineering Co., Florham Park, NJ (US);
Abstract
An optical recording medium is disclosed which comprises a reflecting material, the surface of which is characterized by cavities of average depth D and of average spacing S such that for incident radiation of wavelength .lambda., S is less than about .lambda./20 and D is either greater than .lambda./6 or less than .lambda./6 and is capable of being altered to either less than or greater than .lambda./6, respectively. In the practice of the invention, the heat from a high intensity energy source, such as a laser operating in the ultraviolet, optical or near-infrared region or a beam of electrons, softens the reflective material at the surface and, depending on the sign of the surface energy, either increases or decreases D, thus lowering or raising the reflectivity of the surface, respectively.