# US 7,407,696 B2 · Phase change materials for storage media > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,407,696 B2 - Document ID: US7407696B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/543,214 - Filed: 2004-01-22 - Published: 2006-04-06 - Granted: 2008-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2003-01-24 - Assignees: Board of Trustees operating Michigan State University - Inventors: Mercouri G. Kanatzidis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7407696B2 ## CPC - G11B 7/243: comprising inorganic materials only, e.g. ablative layers - G11B 7/00454: {involving phase-change effects} - G11B 7/26: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of record carriers - G11B 2007/24314: {group 15 elements (e.g. Sb, Bi)} - G11B 2007/24324: {Sulfur} - Y10T 428/21: Circular sheet or circular blank - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Phase-change compounds, and optical storage recording media, for recording and/or storage of data, comprising such compounds, according to the formula XSbySz; wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li, Cs and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 1 or about 5, and z is about 1 or about B. Preferably, X is K, y is 5 and z is B. Also provided are optical recording media comprising a layer of the phase-change material and methods of creating a reversible phasechange by irradiating the material with a laser radiation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A phase-change storage media comprising a layer of a phase change compound according to the formula XSbySz; wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li, Cs and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 5 and z is about 8, or wherein y is about 1 and z is about 2. ### Claim 2 A phase-change storage media comprising a layer of a phase change compound according to the formula XSbySz; Wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 5 and z is about 8, or wherein y is about 1 and z is about 2. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A media of claim 2 wherein X is K. ### Claim 4 An optical recording medium comprising a phase-change compound according to the formula XSbySz; wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li, Cs and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 5 and z is about 8, or wherein y is about 1 and z is about 2. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A medium according to claim 4 wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 5 and z is about 8, or wherein y is about 1 and z is about 2. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A medium of claim 5 wherein X is K. ### Claim 7 A method for a creating a reversible phase-change in a phase change compound according to the formula XSbySz; wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li, Cs and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 5 and z is about 8, or wherein y is about 1 and z is about 2, comprising irradiating said compound with a distinct wavelength of laser radiation. ### Claim 8 A method for a creating a reversible phasechange in a phase change compound according to the formula XSbySz; wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 5 and z is about 8, or wherein y is about 1 and z is about 2, comprising irradiating said compound with a distinct wavelength of laser radiation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method of claim 8 wherein the wavelength is from about 676 nm to about 686 nm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method of claim 9 wherein the wavelength is about 681 nm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) A method of claim 8 wherein the wavelength is from about 738 nm to about 748 nm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method of claim 11 wherein the wavelength is 743 nm. ### Claim 13 A method for recording data-on an optical recording medium comprising a phase-change compound according to the formula XSbySz; wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li, Cs and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 5 and z is about 8, or wherein y is about 1 and z is about 2; said method comprising: exposing a discrete region of said medium to irradiation at a level sufficient to effect a phase change in said compound. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13 wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 5 and z is about 8, or wherein y is about 1 and z is about 2; said method comprising: exposing a discrete region of said medium to irradiation at a level sufficient to effect a phase change in said compound. ### Claim 15 A method for making a phase-change compound according to the formula XSbySz; wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li, Cs and mixtures thereof; and wherein y is about 5, and z is about 8, the method comprising the steps of: (a) combining stoichiometric amounts of metallic X, Sb, and S in a reaction vessel; (b) heating the metals under vacuum so as to melt the metals; and (c) cooling the metals to room temperature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15 wherein X is selected from the group consisting of K, Rb, Tl, Na, Li and mixtures thereof.