Abstract: A multiple data layer dye-based optical disk drive uses a disk with a light transmissive substrate onto which the laser light at a single wavelength is incident. The disk substrate supports at least two spatially separated data layers formed of dye material. The disk is either an air-gap structure wherein each data layer is supported on a separate substrate and the substrates are separated by an air-gap, or a solid structure wherein a solid light transmissive spacer layer separates the data layers. The invention makes use of the characteristic anomalous dispersion absorption band of certain dye materials, in which at a specific wavelength the dye material exhibits a high index of refraction and low extinction coefficient. This allows the first data layer (the one nearest the incident laser light) and intermediate data layers to exhibit both sufficient absorption when the laser is focused on those data layers and high transmissivity when the laser is focused on the last or farther data layers.

Abstract: An optical disk drive uses an optical disk with spatially separated multiple phase-change WORM recording layers. The optical disk has a light transmissive substrate onto which the laser light is incident. The substrate supports at least two spatially separated multi-film recording stacks, each stack including an active recording layer of phase-change WORM material. The disk is either an air-gap structure wherein each recording stack is supported on a separate substrate and the substrates are separated by an air-gap, or a solid structure wherein a solid light transmissive spacer layer separates the recording stacks. Each of the recording stacks located between the substrate on which the laser light is incident and the farthest recording stack includes an active phase-change recording layer and an optical interference film in contact with the recording layer.

Abstract: A single-sided ablative write-once optical disk is usable without a protective cartridge. The disk includes the conventional radiation-transparent polycarbonate substrate that has one surface serving as the disk outer face and an opposite surface that supports the fluorinated hydrocarbon subbing layer and the tellurium-based active data layer. The tellurium alloy in the data layer flows to form holes when subjected to incident laser radiation through the substrate. A multilayer protective coating is formed over the tellurium-based layer and has an outer surface that serves as the other outer face for the disk. The multilayer protective coating includes a deformable layer formed directly on the tellurium-based layer and a scratch-resistant hardcoat formed on the deformable layer. The deformable layer has sufficient hardness and modulus of elasticity to permit the tellurium alloy to flow at conventional laser power levels. In one embodiment the deformable layer is a silicone elastomer.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces. A layer of a dye material is deposited onto each of the data surfaces. The thickness of the dye layer determines the amount of reflectivity for each of the data surfaces.