Abstract: Known infrared irradiation devices for drying a material for irradiation that is moved through a process chamber have a radiator unit with at least one infrared radiator for emitting infrared radiation and have a counter-reflector with a reflector wall, wherein the reflector wall has a plurality of inlet openings for admitting cooling gas into the reflector space. Proceeding from this, in order to provide an irradiation device for the drying method, which irradiation device is, in particular for drying solvent-containing and in particular water-based printing ink, distinguished by high-speed drying with a low level of bubble formation and a low level of condensation in the reflector space at the same time, it is proposed that the reflector wall has at least one outlet opening for conducting waste air out of the reflector space.

Abstract: A method for at least partially drying a substrate. The method includes: (a) directing a supply air flow onto the substrate with a direction component in either the transport direction, or the opposite direction and (b) directing an exhaust air flow away from the substrate. The method is reproducible and effective and achieves an improved result with respect to the homogeneity and speed of drying because the exhaust air flow is split into a plurality of sub-flows by supplying each of the sub-flows to an individual intake channel, and because, in the event of a supply air flow in the transport direction of movement of the substrate, the supply air flow is arranged spatially upstream of the exhaust air flow and, in the event of a supply air flow in the opposite direction, the supply air flow is arranged spatially downstream of the exhaust air flow.

Abstract: Printing machines are fitted with a printer assembly for application of solvent-containing printing ink onto a printing substrate. A transport device transports the printing substrate from the printer assembly to a dryer unit that has at least one infrared radiator for drying the printing substrate. The dryer unit is improved in terms of homogeneity and rapidity of the drying of solvent-containing printing ink, and in that no active cooling of the infrared radiator is required. The infrared radiator is a planar heating element made of a dielectric, emits infrared radiation when heated, and comprises a heating surface that faces the printing substrate to be dried. The infrared radiator has a contacting surface, onto which a printed conductor of a heating conductor made of an electrically conductive precious metal-containing resistor material is applied, that is connected to an adjustable current source by an electrical contact.

Abstract: Methods for drying a substrate. The methods include the following steps: (a) emitting infrared radiation towards a substrate moving through a process space using an emitter unit comprising at least one inflated emitter, (b) generating at least two process gas streams of a process gas directed towards the substrate, (c) drying the substrate by the action of infrared radiation and process gas on the substrate, and (d) extracting moisture-laden process gas from the process space via an extraction duct, forming an exhaust air stream leading away from the substrate. To specify a drying method which is reproducible and effective and leads to an improved result, in particular in terms of homogeneity and speed of drying of the substrate, the at least two process gas streams are guided to the infrared emitter before they act on the substrate, and an exhaust air stream is spatially assigned to each process gas stream.

Abstract: Printing machines are fitted with a printer assembly for application of solvent-containing printing ink onto a printing substrate. A transport device transports the printing substrate from the printer assembly to a dryer unit that has at least one infrared radiator for drying the printing substrate. The dryer unit is improved in terms of homogeneity and rapidity of the drying of solvent-containing printing ink, and in that no active cooling of the infrared radiator is required. The infrared radiator is a planar heating element made of a dielectric, emits infrared radiation when heated, and comprises a heating surface that faces the printing substrate to be dried. The infrared radiator has a contacting surface, onto which a printed conductor of a heating conductor made of an electrically conductive precious metal-containing resistor material is applied, that is connected to an adjustable current source by an electrical contact.

Abstract: An apparatus for thermal treatment of a substrate is provided. The apparatus has a heating device and a carrier provided with a support surface for the substrate. The apparatus permits a high substrate throughput. At least part of the carrier contains a composite material containing an amorphous matrix component and an additional component containing a semiconductor material, and a conductor path that is part of the heating device and made of an electrically conducting resistance material that generates heat when current passes through it is applied to a surface of the composite material.

Abstract: Known apparatuses for irradiating a substrate include a housing and, within the housing, a receptacle for the substrate having a circular irradiation surface and a first emitter for generating optical radiation having a first emitter tube arranged in a plane of curvature extending parallel to the irradiation surface and having an emitter tube end, whereby the receptacle and the first emitter can be moved with respect to each other. In these apparatuses, the irradiation surface includes first and second semi-circular surface portions.

Abstract: Known apparatuses for irradiating a substrate include a receptacle for the substrate to be irradiated having a circular irradiation surface and a first optical emitter having at least one emitter tube arranged in an illumination plane extending parallel to the irradiation surface. The illumination length of the emitter tube includes a middle section and two end sections, the length of the middle section accounting for at least 50% of the illumination length. The receptacle and the optical emitter are movable relative to each other. An apparatus for thermal treatment of a substrate, enabling ho-mogeneous and/or rotationally symmetrical heating of the substrate and requiring less complexity in its design and control technology, includes a middle section of the emitter tube having a steadily decreasing curvature, provided that the illumination length of the emitter tube extends over an angle of curvature of less than 2?.

Abstract: Known apparatuses for irradiating a substrate include a housing and, within the housing, a receptacle for the substrate having a circular irradiation surface and a first emitter for generating optical radiation having a first emitter tube arranged in a plane of curvature extending parallel to the irradiation surface and having an emitter tube end, whereby the receptacle and the first emitter can be moved with respect to each other. In these apparatuses, the irradiation surface includes first and second semi-circular surface portions.

Abstract: Known apparatuses for irradiating a substrate include a receptacle for the substrate to be irradiated having a circular irradiation surface and a first optical emitter having at least one emitter tube arranged in an illumination plane extending parallel to the irradiation surface. The illumination length of the emitter tube includes a middle section and two end sections, the length of the middle section accounting for at least 50% of the illumination length. The receptacle and the optical emitter are movable relative to each other. An apparatus for thermal treatment of a substrate, enabling homogeneous and/or rotationally symmetrical heating of the substrate and requiring less complexity in its design and control technology, includes a middle section of the emitter tube having a steadily decreasing curvature, provided that the illumination length of the emitter tube extends over an angle of curvature of less than 2?.

Abstract: The optical storage medium comprises a substrate layer, a data layer arranged on the substrate layer, a first nonlinear layer with a first super-resolution structure arranged above the data layer, and a second nonlinear layer with a second super-resolution structure arranged above the first nonlinear layer, the first nonlinear layer comprising a material having an increased reflectivity when irradiated with a laser beam and the second nonlinear layer comprising a material showing a transparency when irradiated with a laser beam. The first nonlinear layer comprises in particular a semiconductor material of one of the III-V semiconductor family having a low band-gap. And the second nonlinear layer comprises in particular a phase change material, for example SbTe or AIST.

Abstract: Method for reading data from an optical disc comprising a substrate layer, a read-only data layer, and a nonlinear layer with a super-resolution structure disposed on the data layer, the read-only data layer including diffractive pits and lands having a length larger than the diffraction limit of the pickup and super-resolution pits and lands having a length smaller than the diffraction limit of the pickup, the method comprising the steps of using a pickup including a laser for providing a HF signal for retrieving of the data of the data layer, providing a constant laser power for retrieving of the data, and pulsing the laser at the end of a diffractive pit or land. The Apparatus comprises a pickup with a laser and a comparator responsive to a threshold level and to the HF signal, for providing a trigger signal for pulsing of the laser.

Abstract: The optical disc comprises a substrate layer, a read-only data layer having a pit/land data structure with an average pit width, arranged in tracks on the substrate layer, and a nonlinear layer with a super-resolution structure disposed on the data layer, wherein a super-resolution pit following a super-resolution land and a preceding diffractive pit is enlarged in width with regard to the average pit width, and a diffractive pit preceding a super-resolution land and a subsequent super-resolution pit is reduced in pit width with regard to the average pit width.

Abstract: Method for reading data from an optical disc comprising a substrate layer, a read-only data layer, and a nonlinear layer with a super-resolution structure disposed on the data layer, the read-only data layer including diffractive pits and lands having a length larger than the diffraction limit of the pickup and super-resolution pits and lands having a length smaller than the diffraction limit of the pickup, the method comprising the steps of using a pickup including a laser for providing a HF signal for retrieving of the data of the data layer, providing a constant laser power for retrieving of the data, and pulsing the laser at the end of a diffractive pit or land. The Apparatus comprises a pickup with a laser and a comparator responsive to a threshold level and to the HF signal, for providing a trigger signal for pulsing of the lamer.

Abstract: The recordable optical storage medium comprises a substrate layer, a data layer and a first and a second protection layer for the data layer, wherein the data layer comprises a semiconductor layer and a dopant layer with a doping material usable for doping the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer is in particular an intrinsic or essentially intrinsic semiconductor layer having a low reflectivity and the doping material of the dopant layer is selected such, that the reflectivity of the semiconductor layer is increased, when doping material of the dopant layer is diffused into the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A compatible optical recording medium is described, which is designed in such a way that it has the appearance of a read-only optical recording medium for most players and recorders. Further described is a method for manufacturing the recordable optical recording medium. The optical recording medium has an essentially flat recording layer with a first reflectivity at a wavelength specified for a reading recording light beam, which has an alloyed guide track formed of the material of the essentially flat recording layer with a second reflectivity different from the first reflectivity at the specified wavelength.

Abstract: The optical storage medium comprises a substrate layer, a data layer, and a nonlinear layer with a super-resolution structure disposed on the data layer, wherein pits and lands having a size above a diffraction limit of a pickup for reading of the data establish a first and a second level of the data layer, and pits and lands having a size below the diffraction limit of the pickup are arranged on a further level of the data layer. In a preferred embodiment, pits having a size below the diffraction limit are arranged on a third level and lands having a size below the diffraction limit are arranged on a fourth level of the data layer. The optical storage medium is in particular a read-only optical disc comprising a phase-change material, for example AgInSbTe, for providing the super-resolution effect.

Abstract: The optical storage medium comprises a substrate layer, a data layer having a pit/land data structure with data arranged in tracks on the substrate layer, and a nonlinear layer with a super-resolution structure disposed on the data layer, wherein a land having a size below the diffraction limit is inverted to a pit and enclosed by auxiliary lands, and a pit having a size below the diffraction limit is inverted to a land and enclosed by auxiliary pits. The optical storage medium is in particular a read-only optical disc comprising a phase-change material, for example AgInSbTe, for providing the super-resolution effect.

Abstract: The optical storage medium according to the invention uses a mask layer as a super resolution near field structure, which comprises a doped semiconductor material. The semiconductor material is n-doped particularly such that the reflectivity of the semiconductor material is increased, when irradiated with a laser beam. As a semiconductor material advantageously an indium alloy and as a doping material selenium or tellurium can be used. For the manufacturing of a respective optical storage medium a sputtering method for depositing the doped semiconductor material as the mask layer can be used, wherein the dopant is included already in the semiconductor sputtering target.

Abstract: The optical disc comprises a substrate layer, a read-only data layer having a pit/land data structure with an average pit width, arranged in tracks on the substrate layer, and a nonlinear layer with a super-resolution structure disposed on the data layer, wherein a super-resolution pit following a super-resolution land and a preceding diffractive pit is enlarged in width with regard to the average pit width, and a diffractive pit preceding a super-resolution land and a subsequent super-resolution pit is reduced in pit width with regard to the average pit width.