Method and apparatus for recording information

The method of recording information comprising the steps of:

• providing a layer of substantially disordered and generally amorphous memory material which includes a plurality of elements wherein at least one of said elements is polymer forming, which has one structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous and having one detectable characteristic, which is capable of having discrete portions thereof physically changed to another structural condition having another detectable characteristic, which has internal biasing forces toward said other structural condition, and which has internal inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces;
• providing said layer with a catalytic material which is catalytically capable of relatively increasing said biasing forces and decreasing said inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces of the memory material;
• and selectively, at selected desired portions of the layer of memory material in accordance with a desired pattern of useful information, activating the catalytic material at said selected desired discrete portions of the layer and physically changing said layer at said selected desired discrete portions from said one detectable structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous to said other detectable structural condition to record the desired pattern of useful information in said layer.

The method of recording information comprising the steps of:

• providing a layer of substantially disordered and generally amorphous memory material which has one structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous and having one detectable characteristic, which is capable of having discrete portions thereof physically changed to another structural condition having another detectable characteristic, which has internal biasing forces toward said other structural condition, and which has internal inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces;
• providing said layer with a catalytic material which is catalytically capable of relatively increasing said biasing forces and decreasing said inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces of the memory material;
• selectively, at selected desired portions of the layer of memory material in accordance with a desired pattern of useful information, applying visible light energy for activating the catalytic material at said selected desired portions of the layer to produce a latent image of activated catalytic material therein;
• and subsequently applying heat energy to said layer for physically changing said layer at said selected desired portions from said one detectable structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous to said other detectable structural condition to develop the latent image and record the desired pattern of useful information in said layer.

The method of recording information comprising the steps of:

• providing a layer of substantially disordered and generally amorphous material which has one structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous and having one detectable characteristic, which is capable of having discrete portions thereof physically changed to another structural condition having another detectable characteristic, which has internal biasing forces toward said other structural condition, and which has internal inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces;
• providing said layer with a catalytic material which is catalytically capable of relatively increasing said biasing forces and decreasing said inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces of the memory material;
• selectively, at selected desired portions of the layer of memory material in accordance with a desired pattern of useful information, applying energy for activating the catalytic material at said selected desired portions of the layer to produce a latent image of activated catalytic material therein;
• and subsequently applying further energy to said layer for physically changing said layer at said selected desired portions from said one detectable structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous to said other detectable structural condition to develop the latent image and record the desired pattern of useful information in said layer.

The method of recording information comprising the steps of:

• providing a layer of substantially disordered and generally amorphous memory material which has one structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous and having one detectable characteristic, which is capable of having discrete portions thereof physically changed to another structural condition having another detectable characteristic, which has internal biasing forces toward said other structural condition, and which has internal inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces;
• providing said layer with a catalytic material which is catalytically capable of relatively increasing said biasing forces and decreasing said inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces of the memory material;
• and selectively, at selected desired portions of the layer of memory material in accordance with a desired pattern of useful information, applying a short pulse of energy of less than 15 milliseconds duration for substantially simultaneously activating the catalytic material at said selected desired portions of the layer and physically changing said layer at said selected desired portions from said one detectable structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous to said other detectable structural condition to record the desired pattern of useful information in said layer.

The method of recording information comprising the steps of:

• providing a layer of memory material having a structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous and having one detectable characteristic and which is capable of undergoing a physical change in structure to another structural condition having another detectable characteristic in response to the application of energy above a certain threshold, providing said layer with a catalytic material which is catalytically capable of changing said certain threshold so that said physical change in structure can occur in said memory material in response to the application of energy between said certain threshold and said changed threshold, selectively, at selected desired discrete portions of the layer of memory material in accordance with a desired pattern of useful information, activating the catalytic material at said selected desired discrete portions of the layer to change said certain threshold value at said selected desired discrete portions, and applying energy of a value between said certain threshold and said changed threshold to said layer of memory material to cause a physical change in structure in said material from said one structural condition having said one detectable characteristic to said other structural condition having said other detectable characteristic in accordance with said pattern of useful information.

The method of recording information comprising the steps of:

• providing a layer of substantially disordered and generally amorphous memory material which includes a plurality of elements wherein at least one of said elements is polymer forming, which has internal crystallizing forces and crystallizing inhibiting factors, which has one structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous and having one detectable characteristic, and which is capable of having portions thereof physically changed to another structural condition which is more ordered toward a crystalline like condition and having another detectable characteristic;
• providing said layer with a catalytic material which is catalytically capable of increasing the crystallizing forces and decreasing the crystallizing inhibiting factors of the memory material;
• and selectively, at selected desired portions of the layer of memory material in accordance with a desired pattern of useful information, activating the catalytic material at said selected desired portions of the layer and physically changing said layer at said selected desired portions from said one detectable structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous to said other detectable structural condition which is more ordered toward a crystalline like condition to record the desired pattern of useful information in said layer.

The method of recording information comprising the steps of:

• providing a layer of substantially disordered and generally amorphous memory material which has internal crystallizing forces and crystallizing inhibiting factors, which has one structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous and having one visually detectable characteristic, and which is capable of having portions thereof physically changed to another structural condition which is more ordered toward a crystalline like condition and having another visually detectable characteristic;
• providing said layer with a visible light disassociatable compound which, when disassociated by visible light, provides said layer with catalytic material which is catalytically capable of increasing the crystallizing forces and decreasing the crystallizing inhibiting factors of the memory material;
• and applying energy to said layer of memory material including directing visible light at desired portions of the layer in accordance with an image pattern to be recorded for disassociating said visible light disassociatable compound at said desired portions of the layer, activating the catalytic material disassociated from said compound at said desired portions of the layer, and physically changing said layer at said desired portions from said one visually detectable structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous to said other visually detectable structural condition which is more ordered toward a crystalline like condition to record visually said image pattern in said layer.

The method of recording information comprising the steps of:

• providing a layer of substantially disordered and generally amorphous memory material of the polymeric type which includes a plurality of elements wherein at least one of said elements is polymer forming, which has one structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous having a relatively long chain or ring structure and having one detectable characteristic, which is capable of having portions thereof physically changed to another structural condition having a relatively short chain structure and having another detectable characteristic, which has internal biasing forces toward said other structural condition and which has internal inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces;
• providing said layer with a catalytic material which is catalytically capable of relatively increasing said biasing forces and decreasing said inhibitions against the action of said biasing forces of the memory material;
• and selectively, at selected desired portions of the layer of memory material in accordance with a desired pattern of useful information, activating the catalytic material at said selected desired portions of the layer and physically changing said layer at said selected desired portions from said one detectable structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous to said other detectable structural condition to record the desired pattern of useful information in said layer.

Apparatus for recording information comprising a layer of substantially disordered and generally amorphous memory material which has internal crystallizing forces and crystallizing inhibiting factors, which has one structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous and having one visually detectable characteristic, and which is capable of having portions thereof physically changed to another structural condition which is more ordered toward a crystalline like condition and having another visually detectable characteristic, a visible light disassociatable compound for said layer which, when disassociated by visible light, provides said layer with a catalytic material which is catalytically capable of increasing the crystallizing forces and decreasing the crystallizing inhibiting factors of the memory material, and means for applying energy to said layer of memory material including means for directing visible light at desired portions of the layer in accordance with an image pattern to be recorded for disassociating said visible light disassociatable compound at said desired portions of the layer, and physically changing said layer at said desired portions from said one visually detectable structural condition which is substantially disordered and generally amorphous to said other visually detectable structural condition which is more ordered toward a crystalline like condition to record visually said image pattern in said layer.