Method of manufacturing an optically scannable information carrier
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing an optically scannable information carrier, which method comprises a first step wherein a master mold is manufactured, and a second step wherein, by means of the master mold or by means of a daughter mold manufactured by means of said master mold, the information carrier is manufactured by means of a replica process, in which first step a photosensitive layer provided on a substrate is irradiated by means of a modulated radiation beam which is focused to a scanning spot on the photosensitive layer by means of an optical lens system, the substrate and the lens system being moved relatively to each other, and a liquid being provided in a gap which is present between the photosensitive layer and a lens of the lens system facing said photosensitive layer, characterized in that the liquid is provided via an outflow opening which, viewed in a displacement direction of the substrate at the location of the scanning spot relative to the lens system, is situated upstream from the scanning spot and directly adjacent said lens, said outflow opening being provided in a wall, which substantially extends in an imaginary plane wherein a side of the lens facing the photosensitive layer extends.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a master mold (1), which is used to manufacture an optical information disc, such as a CD or DVD. According to the method, a substrate (3) is provided with a photosensitive layer (5), which is subsequently irradiated by means of a radiation beam (7), which is focused to a scanning spot (11) on said layer by means of an optical lens system (9). A liquid, such as water, is supplied into a gap (53) present between the photosensitive layer and an auxiliary lens (59) of the lens system facing said layer. As a result, the size of the scanning spot is decreased and the information density of the information disc to be manufactured is increased.
According to the invention, the liquid is supplied via a supply opening (69) which is positioned immediately adjacent the auxiliary lens (59), in a direction which, viewed from the scanning spot (11), is contrary to a direction (Z) wherein the substrate (3) is moved with respect to the lens system (9). Thus, the liquid supplied via the supply opening is transported immediately and exclusively into said gap (53), so that the amount of liquid to be supplied to fill the gap is limited. The supply opening is formed in a wall portion (65), which extends in an imaginary plane in which also a side wall (63) of the auxiliary lens (59) facing the photosensitive layer is present. As a result, a homogeneous Couette flow of liquid without air inclusions is obtained in the gap. This Couette flow does not cause any undesirable mechanical vibrations of the lens system.
The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing an optical information disc, according to which method a master mold (1) is manufactured in a first step, and the information disc is manufactured in a second step by means of a replica process using said master mold. The invention further relates to a device (25) for the manufacture of a master mold by means of a method according to the invention.
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Citations
18 Claims
- 1. A method of manufacturing an optically scannable information carrier, which method comprises a first step wherein a master mold is manufactured, and a second step wherein, by means of the master mold or by means of a daughter mold manufactured by means of said master mold, the information carrier is manufactured by means of a replica process, in which first step a photosensitive layer provided on a substrate is irradiated by means of a modulated radiation beam which is focused to a scanning spot on the photosensitive layer by means of an optical lens system, the substrate and the lens system being moved relatively to each other, and a liquid being provided in a gap which is present between the photosensitive layer and a lens of the lens system facing said photosensitive layer, characterized in that the liquid is provided via an outflow opening which, viewed in a displacement direction of the substrate at the location of the scanning spot relative to the lens system, is situated upstream from the scanning spot and directly adjacent said lens, said outflow opening being provided in a wall, which substantially extends in an imaginary plane wherein a side of the lens facing the photosensitive layer extends.
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2. A method of manufacturing a master mold, which is used in the manufacture of an optically scannable information carrier, according to which method, a photosensitive layer provided on a substrate is irradiated by means of a modulated radiation beam which is focused to a scanning spot on the photosensitive layer by means of an optical lens system, the substrate and the lens system being moved relatively to each other, and a liquid being provided in a gap which is present between the photosensitive layer and a lens of the lens system facing said photosensitive layer, characterized in that the liquid is provided via an outflow opening which, viewed in a displacement direction of the substrate at the location of the scanning spot relative to the lens system, is situated upstream from the scanning spot and directly adjacent said lens, said outflow opening being provided in a wall, which substantially extends in an imaginary plane wherein a side of the lens facing the photosensitive layer extends.
- 10. A device for the manufacture of a master mold, which is used in the manufacture of an optically scannable information carrier, which device is provided with a table which can be rotated about an axis of rotation, on which table a substrate with a photosensitive layer can be placed, and with a radiation source, an optical lens system for focusing a radiation beam generated in operation by the radiation source to a scanning spot on the photosensitive layer, a displacement device by means of which the lens system can be displaced with respect to the axis of rotation mainly in a radial direction, and a liquid supply means for providing a liquid in a gap between the photosensitive layer and a lens of the lens system facing said photosensitive layer, characterized in that the liquid supply means comprises an outflow opening which, viewed in a tangential direction with respect to the axis of rotation, is situated upstream from the optical axis and directly adjacent said lens, said outflow opening being situated in a wall, which substantially extends in an imaginary plane wherein a side of the lens facing the photosensitive layer extends.
Specification