Characterization of a Dyed-Polymer Optical Storage Medium

Abstract

Organic based optical storage media, dye-only or dyed-polymer, offer a number of advantages over thin metal films used in write-once, phase change, or magneto-optic media1. Organic materials have much lower melting points and thermal conductivities than metals. This can result in higher sensitivity and resolution for laser marking. Organic materials can be cast by spin coating, which leads to lower fabrication costs for discs as compared to the vapor coating techniques required for thin metal films. They are less subject to degradation caused by air and moisture. Furthermore, the chemical and physical properties of organic materials can be controled by manipulating the molecular structure to achieve the required performance.