Flat panel apparatus for addressing optical data storage locations

A method of simultaneously addressing multiple storage locations for optical data, the storage locations including a dielectric substrate in communication with a first major surface of a layer of material having electro-optic properties, comprising:

• defining multiple first stripe regions on a second major surface of the layer and multiple second stripe regions on the dielectric substrate, the storage locations being defined by overlapping portions of the first and second stripe regions;
• inducing on the first stripe regions of the second major surface of the layer signals corresponding to the optical data;
• and
• simultaneously effecting emission of electrons from the second stripe regions of the dielectric substrate to develop an electrostatic reference potential on the second stripe regions, thereby to change a property of the layer of electro-optic material in accordance with the optical data and effect storage of the signals by the storage locations.

In an electro-optic system having multiple light pattern data storage locations, an addressing structure for addressing the data storage locations, comprising:

• substrate means having first and second major surfaces for supporting on the first major surface plural nonoverlapping first electrodes that extend in a first direction;
• first biasing means for applying first electrical signals to different ones of the first electrodes;
• beam emitting means for emitting a row-scanning beam of primary electrons along a path substantially parallel to the second major surface;
• electron deflecting means spaced apart from the second major surface for deflecting the beam of primary electrons to strike the second major surface and thereby define on it preselected stripe regions from which secondary electrons are emitted;
• and
• reference potential stabilizing means cooperating with the secondary electrons emitted from the second major surface for developing an electrostatic reference potential at the preselected stripe regions, the simultaneous application of the first electrical signals to the first electrodes and the development of the electrostatic reference potential at a corresponding preselected stripe region of the second major surface changing a property of the electro-optic material.