Optical memory devices using a silicon wire grid polarizer and methods of making and using
AssigneeWostec, Inc.
InventorsValery Konstantinovich Smirnov, Dmitry Stanislavovich Kibalov
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Abstract
Long term optical memory includes a storage medium composed from an array of silicon nanoridges positioned onto the fused silica glass. The array has first and second polarization contrast corresponding to different phase of silicon. The first polarization contrast results from amorphous phase of silicon and the second polarization contrast results from crystalline phase of silicon. The first and second polarization states are spatially distributed over plurality of localized data areas of the storage medium.
Claims20
An optical memory device, comprising:
- an optically transparent substrate;
- a storage medium disposed on the substrate and comprising a substantially planar array of silicon nanoridges, wherein the silicon nanoridges are configured and arranged for transformation between a first state and a second state, wherein the first and second states have different responses to polarized light of a predetermined wavelength, wherein the storage medium is configured and arranged to be spatially divided into a plurality of data areas;
- a light source configured and arranged to produce a beam of polarized light having the predetermined wavelength and directed onto the storage medium;
- and
- a detector configured and arranged to receive and detect polarized light from the data areas of the storage medium in response to the beam of polarized light being directed onto the storage medium.
The optical memory device of claim 11, wherein the light source is configured and arranged to produce the beam of polarized light having a wavelength in a range of 395-450 nm.
An optical memory, comprising:
- an optically transparent substrate;
- and
- a storage medium disposed on the substrate and comprising a substantially planar array of silicon nanoridges, wherein the silicon nanoridges are configured and arranged for transformation between a first state and a second state, wherein the first and second states have different responses to polarized light of at one or more wavelengths, wherein the storage medium is configured and arranged to be spatially divided into a plurality of data areas.
A method of forming a hard nanomask on a rotating substrate, the method comprising:
- depositing a first material to form a surface layer on top of a substrate;
- providing a flux of ions in a form of a sector centered to a rotation center of the substrate;
- rotating the substrate under the flux of ions;
- and
- irradiating a surface of the surface layer with the flux of ions during the substrate rotation until a hard nanomask is formed, the nanomask comprising a substantially periodic array of elongated elements having a wavelike cross-section, at least some of the elongated elements having the following structure in cross-section:
- an inner region of the first material, a first outer region of a second material covering a first portion of the inner region, and a second outer region of the second material covering a second portion of the inner region and connecting with the first outer region at a wave crest, wherein the first outer region is substantially thicker than the second outer region, and wherein the second material is formed by modifying the first material by the ion flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.