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:
Dec. 19, 1989
Filed:
Nov. 23, 1987
David M Scruggs, San Jan Capistrano, CA (US);
John M Zabsky, Santa Ana, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An information storage system includes a memory medium having a layer of an amorphously transformable, stable metal upon a substrate, a laser or other directed energy source for changing the state of discrete regions of the layer between the amorphous and the crystalline states, in a controllable pattern to store information in the pattern, a beam source to cause X-ray or electron emission from a local region of the metallic layer, and an X-ray or electron detector for analyzing X-rays or electrons from the region to determine whether the region is amorphous or crystalline. Discrete regions are transformed to the amorphous state by heating them above the melting point and permitting them to solidify rapidly. Those regions are transformed back to the crystalline state by heating them above their crystalline transformation temperature, but not above the melting point, using the laser operating at a reduced power level.