Method and apparatus for making an optical information record

Claim 1

A method of making an optical information record, comprising the steps of a) providing a substrate having a surface for carrying an information bearing layer, b) providing a curable polymer on said surface of the substrate, c) providing a flexible stamper having an information bearing pattern on a first surface thereof, said first surface having inner and outer regions, wherein the step of providing a stamper comprises providing an assembly including a manifold body, defining a chamber having a first opening and a second opening opposed to said first opening, and securing the stamper to the first opening such that the surface of the stamper having the information bearing pattern faces outward away from the chamber, d) subjecting the outside of the chamber to a vacuum to provide a differential pressure between the inside and outside of the chamber to distort the stamper such that the inner region of the first surface bearing the information pattern bulges outward relative to the outer region, providing the first surface with a generally convex contour in at least one direction, e) positioning the distorted stamper relative to the substrate such that the convex surface of the stamper having the information bearing pattern is capable of being pressed against the surface of the substrate bearing the curable polymer on the substrate, f) pressing the distorted first surface of the stamper and the polymer bearing surface of the substrate together, causing the inner region of the stamper to first contact the substrate surface and the remainder of the distorted stamper to progressively contact the remainder of the stamper surface as the respective surfaces are further pressed together, thereby distributing the polymer across the substrate surface and forming a replica of the information bearing pattern in the polymer surface, g) curing the polymer while maintaining the pressure differential, thereby fixing the replica on the cured polymer surface, to provide a formed, information bearing layer on the substrate, and h) separating the stamper from the substrate.

Claim 2

A method of making an optical information record, comprising the steps of a) providing a substrate having a surface for carrying an information bearing layer, b) providing a curable polymer on said surface of the substrate, c) providing a flexible stamper having an information bearing pattern on a first surface thereof, said first surface having inner and outer regions, wherein the step of providing a stamper comprises providing an assembly including a manifold body, defining a chamber having a first opening and a second opening opposed to said first opening, and securing the stamper to the first opening such that the surface of the stamper having the information bearing pattern faces outward away from the chamber, d) subjecting the outside of the chamber to a vacuum to provide a differential pressure between the inside and outside of the chamber to distort the stamper such that the inner region of the first surface bearing the information pattern bulges outward relative to the outer region, providing the first surface with a generally convex contour in at least one direction, e) positioning the distorted stamper relative to the substrate such that the convex surface of the stamper having the information bearing pattern is capable of being pressed against the surface of the substrate bearing the curable polymer on the substrate, f) pressing the distorted first surface of the stamper and the polymer bearing surface of the substrate together, causing the inner region of the stamper to first contact the substrate surface and the remainder of the distorted stamper to progressively contact the remainder of the stamper surface as the respective surfaces are further pressed together, thereby distributing the polymer across the substrate surface and forming a replica of the information bearing pattern in the polymer surface, g) curing the polymer while maintaining the pressure differential, thereby fixing the replica on the cured polymer surface, to provide a formed, information bearing layer on the substrate, and h) separating the stamper from the substrate.