Indium chalcogenide, gallium chalcogenide, and indium-gallium chalcogenide phase-change media for ultra-high-density data-storage devices

摘要

Ultra-high-density data-storage media employing indium chalcogenide, gallium chalcogenide, and indium-gallium chalcogenide films to form bit-storage regions that act as photoconductive, photovoltaic, or photoluminescent semiconductor devices that produce electrical signals when exposed to electromagnetic radiation, or to form bit-storage regions that act as cathodoconductive, cathodovoltaic, or cathodoluminescent semiconductor devices that produce electrical signals when exposed to electron beams. Two values of a bit are represented by two solid phases of the data-storage medium, a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase, with transition between the two phases effected by heating the bit storage region.