Apparatus for trimming dye coated on a recordable disc substrate and related method
AssigneeTapematic S.P.A.
InventorMichael Hennessey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for trimming dye coated on a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc which includes a substrate rotation assembly for rotating the disc substrate, an optic assembly for directing a laser beam directly upon the rotatable substrate to trim the dye coated thereon, and a process byproduct removing assembly for removing the trimmed byproducts from the substrate.
Claims67
An apparatus for trimming dye coated on an outer edge of a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc comprising:
- substrate rotation means for rotating the disc substrate;
- an optical assembly having means for receiving laser energy and for directing said laser energy directly upon the outer edge of the rotatable substrate to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce byproducts of the trimming operation;
- and
- means for removing the byproducts of the trimming operation from the substrate.
An apparatus for trimming dye coated on an outer edge of a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc comprising:
- substrate rotation means for rotating the disc substrate;
- an optical assembly having means for receiving laser energy and for directing said laser energy directly upon the outer edge of the rotatable substrate to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce byproducts of the trimming operation wherein said laser energy receiving and directing means includes a focusing optic system for collimating the laser beam and directing the laser beam directly upon the outer edge of the rotatable substrate to trim the dye coated thereon wherein the laser beam has a wavelength between approximately 450 and 800 nm, is collimated by said focusing optic system with a diameter of between approximately 0.5 to 1.5 mm, and is collimated within a length of between approximately 2 to 5 mm;
- laser generation means for producing the laser energy and for supplying said laser energy to said laser energy receiving and directing means wherein the laser beam is produced with a maximum power of approximately 12 watts;
- and
- means for removing the process byproducts from the substrate.
A method for trimming dye coated on an outer edge of a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc, said method comprising the steps of:
- rotating the disc substrate by means of substrate rotation means;
- receiving laser energy and directing the laser energy directly upon the outer edge of the disc substrate by means of an optical assembly to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce process byproducts;
- and
- removing the process byproducts from the rotatable disc substrate.
A method for trimming dye coated on an outer edge of a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc, said method comprising the steps of:
- rotating the disc substrate by means of a substrate rotation means;
- generating laser energy from a laser energy generation means with a maximum power of approximately 12 watts and supplying the laser energy to an optic assembly;
- shaping and collimating the laser beam in a focusing optic system of said optic assembly and directing the laser beam directly upon the outer edge of the rotatable substrate to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce process byproducts wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of between approximately 450 and 800 nm, is collimated by said focusing optic system with a diameter of between approximately 0.5 to 1.5 mm, and is collimated within a length of between approximately 2 to 5 mm;
- and
- removing the trimmed process byproducts from the substrate.
An apparatus for trimming dye coated on an outer edge of a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc comprising:
- a substrate support for supporting the disc substrate;
- an optical assembly having means for receiving laser energy and for directing said laser energy directly upon the outer edge of the substrate to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce byproducts of the trimming operation;
- and
- means for removing the byproducts of the trimming operation from the substrate.
An apparatus for trimming dye coated on an outer edge of a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc comprising:
- a substrate support for supporting the disc substrate;
- an optical assembly having means for receiving laser energy and for directing said laser energy directly upon the outer edge of the substrate to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce byproducts of the trimming operation wherein said laser energy receiving and directing means includes a focusing optic system for collimating the laser beam and directing the laser beam directly upon the substrate to trim the dye coated thereon wherein the laser beam has a wavelength between approximately 450 and 800nm, is collimated by said focusing optic system with a diameter of between approximately 0.5 to 1.5 mm, and is collimated within a length of between approximately 2 to 5 mm;
- laser generation means for producing the laser energy and for supplying said laser energy to said laser energy receiving and directing means wherein the laser beam is produced with a maximum power of approximately 12 watts;
- and
- means for removing the process byproducts from the substrate.
A method for trimming dye coated on an outer edge of a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc, said method comprising the steps of:
- supporting the disc substrate on a substrate support;
- receiving laser energy and directing the laser energy directly upon the outer edge of the disc substrate by means of an optical assembly to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce process byproducts;
- and
- removing the process byproducts from the rotatable disc substrate.
A method for trimming dye coated on an outer edge of a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc, said method comprising the steps of:
- supporting the disc substrate on a substrate support;
- generating laser energy from a laser energy generation means with a maximum power of approximately 12 watts and supplying the laser energy to an optical assembly;
- shaping and collimating the laser beam in a focusing optic system of said optic assembly and directing the laser beam directly upon the outer edge of the substrate to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce process byproducts wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of between approximately 450 and 800 nm, is collimated by said focusing optic system with a diameter of between approximately 0.5 to 1.5 mm, and is collimated within a length of between approximately 2 to 5 mm;
- and
- removing the trimmed process byproducts from the substrate.
An apparatus for trimming dye coated on a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc comprising:
- substrate rotation means for rotating the disc substrate on a support axis;
- an optical assembly having means for receiving laser energy and for directing said laser energy directly upon the rotatable substrate to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce byproducts of the trimming operation;
- and
- means for removing the byproducts of the trimming operation from the substrate wherein said byproduct removing means is a fluidic jet for directing the process byproducts away from the rotatable disc substrate, said fluidic jet having an angularly disposed dispersion orifice which is angularly displaced at an angle of between approximately 5° to 80° from said support axis and wherein the fluid discharged from said fluidic jet is a cryogenic liquid selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
A method for trimming dye coated on a recordable disc substrate during production of an optical memory disc, said method comprising the steps of:
- rotating the disc substrate by means of substrate rotation means;
- receiving laser energy and directing laser energy directly upon the disc substrate by means of an optical assembly to trim the dye coated thereon and thereby produce process byproducts;
- removing the process byproducts from the rotatable disc substrate by means of a fluidic jet;
- and
- discharging a cryogenic liquid from the fluidic jet selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.