Method and apparatus for creating optical disc masters

Abstract

Method and apparatus for a portable clean environment used for recording optical disc masters by enclosing a light sensitive optical disc in a container that prevents ambient contamination from destroying the pristine environment necessary to create optical disc masters. A transparent optical disc, having an optically active lamina on at least one surface of the transparent optical disc, is enclosed in a dish shaped container that is generally free of particulate larger than 0.2 microns, the enclosure assembly effectively preserving a class 10 cleanroom environment. The dish shaped enclosure isolates the surface of the optical disc used to record data from contamination due to ambient conditions while exposing the nonwriting surface of the optical disc to enable laser writing. A foil seal protects the exposed nonwriting surface of the optical disc from ambient contamination during storage and until recording is desired. Once recording is desired, the foil seal is removed, the entire assembly is placed on the spindle of a turntable, and the transparent optical disc allows laser light to pass through the optical disc and focus on the optically active lamina to form pits within the optically active lamina by either ablating the lamina or by consuming the lamina. The optical disc is then removed from the cover in a cleanroom where electroforming is done on the optical disc to create a disc master.