Metal alloys for the reflective or semi-reflective layer of an optical storage medium

• US 7,314,659 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Target Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Target Technology Company LLC
• Inventors: Nee, Han H.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULVANEY, ELIZABETH EVANS
• Application Number:
  US11/379,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20060234002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 428/64.1
• US Class Current: 428/64.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/24312 group 14 elements (e.g. Si, Ge, Sn)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/24314 group 15 elements (e.g. Sb, Bi)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/24316 group 16 elements (i.e. chalcogenides, Se, Te)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/24038 Multiple laminated recording layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2472 cyanine
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/258 of reflective layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/259 based on silver
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/21 Circular sheet or circular blank

Abstract

A silver-based alloy thin film is provided for the highly reflective or the semi-reflective layer of optical discs. Alloy additions to silver include gold, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium, platinum, palladium, copper, silicon, cadmium, tin, lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, indium, chromium, antimony, gallium, boron, molybdenum, zirconium, beryllium, titanium, aluminum, germanium and zinc. These alloys have moderate to high reflectivity and reasonable corrosion resistance in ambient environments.

Claims

1. An optical storage medium, comprising:

a first layer having a first pattern of features in at least one major surface;

a reflective layer, the reflective layer including a metal alloy, said metal alloy including silver, tin and indium, wherein the relationship between the amounts of silver, tin and indium in the metal alloy is defined by Ag_xSn_yIn_z where 0.90<

x<

0.9999, 0.0001<

y<

0.10 and 0.0001<

z<

0.10.

2. The optical storage medium of claim 1, further comprising an optically recordable dye layer adjacent said reflective layer.

3. The optical storage medium of claim 2, wherein the first pattern of features includes a spiral groove.

4. The optical storage medium of claim 1, wherein 0.001<

y <

0.05 and 0.001<

z<

0.05.

5. The optical storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

a second layer, said second layer including a dielectric material;

a third layer, said third layer including an optically re-recordable material; and

a fourth layer, said fourth layer including a dielectric material.

6. The optical storage medium of claim 5, wherein the first pattern of features includes a spiral groove.

7. The optical storage medium of claim 5, wherein said optically re-recordable material is a phase-changeable material.

8. The optical storage medium of claim 7, wherein said optically re-recordable material further comprises a phase changeable material selected from the group consisting of Ge—

Sb—

Te, As—

In—

Sb—

Te, Cr—

Ge—

Sb—

Te, As—

Te—

Ge, Te—

Ge—

Sn, Te—

Ge—

Sn—

O, Te—

Se, Sn—

Te—

Se, Te—

Ge—

Sn—

Au, Ge—

Sb—

Te, Sb—

Te—

Se, In—

Se—

Tl, In Sb, In—

Sb—

Se, In—

Se—

Tl—

Co, Bi—

Ge, Bi—

Ge—

Sb, Bi—

Ge—

Te, and Si—

Te—

Sn.

9. The optical storage medium of claim 5, wherein said optically re-recordable material is a magneto-optic material.

10. The optical storage medium of claim 9, wherein said optically re-recordable material further comprises a magneto-optic material selected from the group consisting of Tb—

Fe—

Co and Gd—

Tb—

Fe.

11. An optical storage medium, comprising:

a first layer having a first pattern of features in at least one major surface;

a reflective layer, the reflective layer including a metal alloy, said metal alloy including silver and indium, wherein the relationship between the amounts of silver and indium in the metal alloy is defined by Ag_xIn_z where 0.90<

x<

0.9999 and 0.0001<

z<

0.10.

12. The optical storage medium of claim 11, further comprising an optically recordable dye layer adjacent said reflective layer.

13. The optical storage medium of claim 12, wherein the first pattern of features includes a spiral groove.

14. The optical storage medium of claim 11, wherein 0.001<

z<

0.05.

15. The optical storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

a second layer, said second layer including a dielectric material;

a third layer, said third layer including an optically re-recordable material; and

a fourth layer, said fourth layer including a dielectric material.

16. The optical storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first pattern of features includes a spiral groove.

17. The optical storage medium of claim 15, wherein said optically re-recordable material is a phase-changeable material.

18. The optical storage medium of claim 17, wherein said optically re-recordable material further comprises a phase changeable material selected from the group consisting of Ge—

Sb—

Te, As—

In—

Sb—

Te, Cr—

Ge—

Sb—

Te, As—

Te—

Ge, Te—

Ge—

Sn, Te—

Ge—

Sn—

O, Te—

Se, Sn—

Te—

Se, Te—

Ge—

Sn—

Au, Ge—

Sb—

Te, Sb—

Te—

Se, In—

Se—

Tl, In Sb, In—

Sb—

Se, In—

Se—

Tl—

Co, Bi—

Ge, Bi—

Ge—

Sb, Bi—

Ge—

Te, and Si—

Te—

Sn.

19. The Optical storage medium of claim 15, wherein said optically re-recordable material is a magneto-optic material.

20. The optical storage medium of claim 19, wherein said optically re-recordable material further comprises a magneto-optic material selected from the group consisting of Tb—

Fe—

Co and Gd—

Tb—

Fe.

21. An optical storage medium, comprising:

a first layer having a first pattern of features in at least one major surface;

a reflective layer, the reflective layer including a metal alloy, said metal alloy including silver and tin, wherein the relationship between the amounts of silver and tin in the metal alloy is defined by Ag_xSn_y where 0.90<

x<

0.9999 and 0.0001<

y<

0.10.

22. The optical storage medium of claim 21, further comprising an optically recordable dye layer adjacent said reflective layer.

23. The optical storage medium of claim 22, wherein the first pattern of features includes a spiral groove.

24. The optical storage medium of claim 21, wherein 0.001<

y<

0.05.

25. The optical storage medium of claim 21, further comprising:

a second layer, said second layer including a dielectric material;

a third layer, said third layer including an optically re-recordable material; and

a fourth layer, said fourth layer including a dielectric material.

26. The optical storage medium of claim 25, wherein the first pattern of features includes a spiral groove.

27. The optical storage medium of claim 25, wherein said optically re-recordable material is a phase-changeable material.

28. The optical storage medium of claim 27, wherein said optically re-recordable material further comprises a phase changeable material selected from the group consisting of Ge—

Sb—

Te, As—

In—

Sb—

Te, Cr—

Ge—

Sb—

Te, As—

Te—

Ge, Te—

Ge—

Sn, Te—

Ge—

Sn—

O, Te—

Se, Sn—

Te—

Se, Te—

Ge—

Sn—

Au, Ge—

Sb—

Te, Sb—

Te—

Se, In—

Se—

Tl, In Sb, In—

Sb—

Se, In—

Se—

Tl—

Co, Bi—

Ge, Bi—

Ge—

Sb, Bi—

Ge—

Te, and Si—

Te—

Sn.

29. The optical storage medium of claim 25, wherein said optically re-recordable material is a magneto-optic material.

30. The optical storage medium of claim 29, wherein said optically re-recordable material further comprises a magneto-optic material selected from the group consisting of Tb—

Fe—

Co and Gd—

Tb—

Fe.

31. An optical storage medium, comprising:

a first layer having a pattern of features in at least one major surface;

a semi-reflective layer adjacent the pattern of features in said first layer, the semi-reflective layer including a metal alloy, said metal alloy including silver, copper and manganese, wherein the relationship between the amounts of silver, copper and manganese in said metal alloy is defined by Ag_xCu_mMn_n, wherein 0.9<

x<

0.9998, 0.0001<

m<

0.05 and 0.0001<

b<

0.05;

a second layer having a pattern of features in at least one major surface; and

a reflective layer adjacent the pattern of features in said second layer.

32. The optical storage medium according to claim 31, wherein said metal alloy includes titanium and wherein the relationship between the amounts of silver and titanium in the metal alloy is Ag_xTi_t wherein 0.95<

x<

0.9999, 0.0001<

t<

0.05.

33. The optical storage median according to claim 32, wherein 0.91<

x<

0.997, 0.001<

m<

0.03, 0.001<

n<

0.03, and 0.001<

t<

0.03.

34. An optical storage medium, comprising:

a first layer having a pattern of features in at least one major surface;

a semi-reflective layer adjacent the pattern of features in said first layer, the semi-reflective layer including a metal alloy, said metal alloy including silver, copper and titanium, wherein the relationship between the amounts of silver, copper and titanium in said metal alloy is defined by Ag_xCu_mTi_t, wherein 0.9<

x<

0.9998, 0.0001<

m<

0.05 and 0.0001<

t<

0.05;

a second layer having a pattern of features in at least one major surface; and

a reflective layer adjacent the pattern of features in said second layer.

35. The optical storage medium according to claim 34, wherein said metal alloy includes manganese and wherein the relationship between the amounts of silver and manganese in the metal alloy is Ag_xMn_n wherein 0.95<

x<

0.9999, 0.0001<

n<

0.05.

36. The optical storage medium according to claim 35, wherein 0.91<

x<

0.997, 0.001<

m<

0.03, 0.001<

n<

0.03, and 0.001<

t<

0.03.

37. An optical storage medium, comprising:

a first layer having a pattern of features in at least one major surface;

a semi-reflective layer adjacent the pattern of features in said first layer, the semi-reflective layer including a metal alloy, said metal alloy including silver, copper and tin, wherein the relationship between the amounts of silver, copper, and tin in said metal alloy is defined by Ag_xCu_mSn_y, wherein 0.9<

x<

0.9998, 0.0001<

m<

0.05 and 0.0001<

y<

0.05;

a second layer having a pattern of features in at least one major surface; and

a reflective layer adjacent the pattern of features in said second layer.

38. The optical storage medium, according to claim 37, wherein 0.94<

x<

0.997, 0.001<

m<

0.03, 0.001<

y<

0.03.