SBIR-STTR Award

A Phase I research program is proposed with two primary technical objectives that are critical to the development of real optical memory devices based on solid state materials. The first objective will be to characterize striae in optical memory materials and subsequently grow improved reduced striae crystals. Striae is currently limiting the performance of technololgies based on these materials. Researchers involved in optical memory systems have conveyed that this is one of the largest technical issues associated with the viability of these systems. The second objective is to develop a commercial source of materials for research in photon-gated holeburning. This technique has the potential for permanent storage, has nondestructive readout of the data, and is the most feasible for higher temperature operation of devices based on persistent spectral holeburning

Phase I SBIR clearly demonstrated a revolutionary new erasable ì optical memory (EOM) process based on laser chemical manipulation ì of transition metal oxides. Potential advantages over either ì magneto-optic (m-o) or phase change (p-c) two dimensional optical ì memory include bit erasable spot dimensions of less than 400 nm. ì Furthermore, the basic signal quality of the storage process is ì much stronger than either p-c or m-o, resulting in better ì manufacturing yields, a systems level improvement in byte error ì rate (BER), and less error detection and correction system ì overhead. Lower basic costs of disk materials and fabrication ì suggest a 5-10 fold reduction in $/MB. Design factors underlying ì this truly innovative approach were identified in Phase I SBIR and ì to some extent quantified. Laser Chemical Corp. (LCC) also secured ì exclusive, world-wide license to U.S. Pat. App. No. 08/481,818 ì filing date 6/7/95. Foreign patent application, more precise ì quantification and exploration of design variables, and prototype ì disk and drive fabrication are 3-4 year goals extending beyond this ì Phase II effort. The Rome Laboratory Surveillance and ì Reconnaissance Directorate has stated that LCC's EOM technology ì meets the military's needs. LCC's commercialization plan maximizes ì both the probability that products reach >$100M markets and that ì LCC and its licensing partners, i.e Rome Laboratory and Syracuse ì University, will participate in the profits.

Benefits:
Any fundamental improvement in data storage media/processes, a ì dual-use, generic, enabling technology, will have a very broad and ì profound effect on many military missions and civilian commercial ì markets. This includes civilian entertainment products, as well as ì memory intensive processing of all kinds.

Keywords:
Dual-Use Erasable Inexpensive Mamo