OPTICAL RECORDING AND INFORMATION ELEMENTS

Abstract: Optical recording elements having metal reflective layers which are coated on both sides with a ceramic overcoat are disclosed.

Description: This invention relates to optical recording elements. Optical recording elements in which information is recorded by thermally deforming an optical recording layer are known. Such elements are useful in rapidly recording large amounts of digital information in a small area. These elements are also useful in recording video information. Recording on an optical recording element is accomplished by an information modulated beam of high energy density radiation such as a laser beam. The laser beam is focused on the surface of the optical recording layer of the element. The recording layer absorbs energy from the laser so that a small portion of the layer is deformed, thereby forming an information bearing record element. The deformations may be in the form of pits, holes or other changes in the material. For example, if "bubbles" are formed, the material is "deformed" but not "ablated". Generally, there is continuous relative motion between the laser beam and the recording layer so that as the recording laser is pulse modulated, discrete deformations varied in sizes are created in the layer. The size and spaces of these deformations constitute the encoded information. The recorded information is also read back by a laser beam. In the read back cycle, the optical contrast from a recorded and unrecorded region is read by a laser beam via transmission or reflection. Most practical systems are based on reflection. If the recording layer is itself partially reflecting, then the optical contrast is obtained from light reflecting from the recording layer of the recorded and unrecorded regions. In optical recording elements which are not highly reflective such as some heat-deformable recording layers, a metal reflective layer is used under the recording layer. Pin holes tend to form in the metal reflective layer. This is particularly true in situations in which the metal film is in contact with organic layers such as organic supports, organic smoothing layers on the support or an organic recording layer. Pin holes in the metal reflective layer cause problems in the laser recording because light is not reflected in the area of the pin holes. This causes localized changes in recording sensitivity. The pin holes also give rise to higher noise and produces defects in recorded pictures. They also give rise to an increase in bit error rate during digital recording and read back. Metal reflective layers having transparent ceramic overcoats are known, for example, from U.S. Patent 4, 195, 312. The optical recording element disclosed therein comprises a substrate bearing a light reflective material such as aluminum and a layer of a transparent ceramic material such as silicon dioxide and an organic dye recording layer. The problem is that significant pin holes still form in the metal reflective layer resulting in the problems of low signal-to-noise ratio, high bit error rates and picture defects. The object of the present invention is to minimize the occurence of pin holes in metal reflective layers of optical recording elements. This objective is achieved with an optical recording element comprising a support bearing a metal reflective layer having thereover a heat-deformable recording layer characterized in that a) a transparent ceramic layer is present between the support end the reflective layer end b) a transparent ceramic layer having a thickness up to.05 µm, preferably 0.02 to 0.05 µm, is present between the reflector layer end the recording layer. The foregoing element in which transparent ceramic overcoats are on both sides of the reflecting layer dramatically minimizes the pin hole problem of prior art optical recording end optical information bearing elements having a reflective layer. A heat-deformable optical recording layer is any layer which is capable of undergoing thermal deformation when exposed to a beam of high energy-density radiation such as a laser beam. Deformations have been referred to in the art as pits, craters, depressions end cavities. Useful layers include thin vacuum-evaporated layers of metal such as bismuth, rhodium, titanium, tellurium end platinum. Layers of vacuum-evaporated dyes are also useful, such as those described in U.S. Patent 4, 190, 843 to Spong, issued February 26, 1980. Bilayer end trilayer optical interference films are also useful. Useful recording layers also include chalcogenides such as those described in U.S. Patent 4, 069, 487 to Kasai et al and solvent-coated dye-binder layers. Particularly useful optical recording elements having heat-deformable recording layers are disclosed in U.S. Patent 4, 380, 769 granted April 19, 1983 to Thomas et al. Such recording elements comprise a support having thereon a heat-deformable optical recording layer that a) is an amorphous layer of a dye and a binder; b) has an absorption factor of at least 20 at a first wavelength and is substantially transparent at a second wavelength; and c)is capable of being thermally deformed by a beam of high energy density radiation of the first wavelength to form a deformation comprising a hole or depression. Such elements may also have a transparent ceramic overcoat over the recording layer. The "absorption factor" of the amorphous material is defined as the product of the weight fraction of dye included in the amorphous material and the molar extinction coefficient of the dye at the wavelength of the recording beam of choice, divided by the molecular weight of the dye (MW), and having the units of liter per gm-cm. Other useful optical recording elements are disclosed in U.S. Patents 4, 415, 621; 4, 446, 223 and 4, 499, 165. Useful ceramic layers can be formed from aluminum oxide, silicon monoxide (SiO), silicon dioxide (SIO₂), silica, glass such as Schott-Glass (Trade mark) (available from Schott Glass Company), quartz and magnesium fluoride (MgF₂). The metal reflective layer may be selected from any highly reflective metal such as gold, aluminum, nickel, chromium and aluminium. Aluminum is preferred. In preparing optical recording elements containing the transparent ceramic layers described herein, the ceramic material may be coated on the substrate. The reflective layer is then coated over the transparent ceramic layer. Then a transparent ceramic layer having a thickness up to 0.05 µm is coated over the metal reflective layer followed by a coating of the heat-deformable recording layer. The support can be made from a number of materials such as glass plate, a resin film or plate such as polyethylene terephthlate or cellulose acetate, paper, clay, wood or metal, to name a few among many. Important characteristics of the support are that it have a relatively high melting point (to avoid deformation during recording), having a very smooth surface (to minimize noise), and be capable of being coated with a layer of amorphous material with good adhesion and no significant chemical reaction between the layer and the support. In certain embodiments the support is coated with a smoothing layer prior to the coating of the transparent ceramic layer. The composition which is used to form the smoothing layer is preferably a low viscosity polymerizable fluid which is coated on the surface of the support. Useful low viscosity, polymerizable fluids are disclosed in U.S. Patent 4, 380, 769. Following coating, polymerization of the fluid produces a microsmooth surface on the support. The transparent ceramic layer is then coated on the smoothing layer by vacuum deposition or by spin coating followed by heat treatment. The thickness of the transparent ceramic layer over the support, or optionally over the smoothing layer, is not critical since such layers do not participate in the laser write or read process. However, thicknesses in the range of 0.05 µm to 0.5 µm are considered practical. The reflective layer is then coated on the transparent ceramic layer by vacuum deposition. Another transparent ceramic layer is then coated over the metal reflecting layer. The thickness of this transparent ceramic layer is important because of constraints on both the thickness of the ceramic layer and of the recording layer for maximum light absorption and read out contrast. The thickness of the transparent ceramic layer is chosen such that it protects the aluminum film from pin hole Formation but does not interfere with laser recording and read back. The thickness of this transparent ceramic layer will depend upon the recording medium. For heat-deformable layers comprising a dye and a binder, the thickness of the ceramic layer should preferably be in the range of 0.02 µm to 0.05 µm to sustain the high performance of laser recording. We have found that thicknesses within this range provide sufficient protection to the reflective layer and still not interfere unacceptably with the laser recording and readback sensitivities. Of course, thicknesses below this range provide some protection against pin hole and are better than no ceramic layer at all. Thicknesses above this range have a deleterious effect on laser write and read sensitivity. The recording layer is then coated on the transparent ceramic layer by spin coating or vacuum deposition. In Figure 1 an optical recording element, according to the present invention, is depicted schematically. The element comprises in the following order a support 1, a smoothing layer 2, a transparent ceramic layer 3, a metal reflecting layer 4, another transparent ceramic layer 5 having a thickness of up to 0.05 µm, and a heat-deformable recording layer 6. Our work shows that when a 0.05 µm layer of transparent ceramic MgF₂ is deposited under and over a 0.05 µm aluminum reflective layer, no pin holes form after sixty days of setting with the sample at 12 pounds per square inch of tension, 140°C and 50° relative humidity. Similar results are obtained with other refractive materials such as SiO₂ and Schott Glass. Figure 3 shows the density of pin bole defects in the metal reflecting layer when a transparent ceramic coating is present on both sides of the reflective layer. For a given thickness, glass provides slightly better protection, and a higher quality, amorphous film. When the metal film is protected either from the top only or from the bottom only, pin boles still develop such as shown in Figure 2. When both sides are protected the decline in the number of pin holes is dramatic.

Claims: 1. An optical recording element comprising a support (1) bearing a metal reflective layer (4) having thereover a heat-deformable recording layer (6) characterized in that a) a transparent ceramic layer (3) is present between the support (1) and the reflective layer (4) and b) a transparent ceramic layer (5) having a thickness up to 0.05 µm is present between the reflective layer (4) and the recording layer (6). 2. The element of claim 1 wherein the transparent ceramic layer (5) between the reflective layer (4) and the recording layer (6) has a thickness of 0.02 µm to 0.05 µm. 3. The element of claim 1 or 2 wherein the reflective layer (4) is aluminum. 4. The element of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the transparent ceramic layers (3, 5) are SiO₂. 5. The element of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the transparent ceramic layers (3, 5) are Schott Glass. 6. The elements of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the transparent ceramic layers (3, 5) are SiO. 7. The element of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the heat-deformable layer (6) a) is an amorphous layer of a dye and a binder; b) has an absorption factor of at least 20 at a first wavelength and is substantially transparent at a second wavelength. 8. The element of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein a smoothing layer (2) is present between the support (1) and the transparent ceramic layer (3).

Inventors: GUPTA, MOOL CHAND, STINSON, DOUGLAS GREG
Applicants: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY (A NEW JERSEY CORPORATION)
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G11B7
IPC codes: G11B7, G03C1, B41M5