1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a functional layer, which may have data stored therein, and a reactive material, which may be in the form of an adjacent reactive layer structured when activated to destroy the functional layer. The present invention also includes a related method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic devices oftentimes contain disks, magnetic storage media, or other microelectronic devices, which contain data and/or information or perform another function, all of which must be protected from theft by direct reading or by reverse engineering. Data and/or information erasure processes are typically inadequate to protect highly-sensitive data or information.
There remains, therefore, a need for a system for destroying functional layers preferably by means of an associated reactive layer, as well as an associated, related method.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a destructive system includes a functional layer, as hereinafter defined, and an adjacent reactive layer, wherein the reactive layer is structured to be activated in such a way so as to destroy the functional layers or at least destroy the functionality of the functional layer. In one preferred embodiment, the reactive layer may be structured to produce a very high temperature when ignited and thereby destroy the functional layer. The functional layer may consist of a magnetic storage medium application, a compact disk application, a magnetic disk application, an optical disk application, or a micro-electronic device application, for example.
In another embodiment, the functional layer may be an optical application, which consists of an optical surface application or a reflective surface application.
The reactive layer may be formed by various means, such as physical vapor deposition, co-sprayed plasma forming, or plasma forming.
An object of the present invention is to provide a destruction system that is structured to employ a reactive material to destroy the functionality of a functional layer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system, which is economical to manufacture and can be efficiently used by unskilled personnel.
It is another object of the present invention to employ such a system to destroy a functional layer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of employing a reactive layer to destroy the functionality of a functional layer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a reactive layer, which, when activated, will produce a very high temperature in order to destroy the functionality of the functional layer.
It is another object of the present invention to utilize natural capacitance of the alternating fuel/oxidizer sub-layers of the reactive layer for electrical charge storage with the stored charge usable in conjunction with a subsystem for ignition of the reactive layer.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention on reference to the illustrations appended hereto.
a) are, respectively, an expanded, cross-sectional view and a detail of a co-sprayed, plasma formed version of a reactive substrate applied to a magnetic disk.
a) are, respectively, an expanded, cross-sectional view and a detail of a layered, plasma formed version of a reactive substrate applied to a magnetic disk.
a) are, respectively, an expanded cross-sectional view and a detail of a layered, vapor deposition formed version of a reactive layer on a transparent substrate applied to a functional layer.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention on reference to the illustrations appended hereto.
For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “axial,” “top,” “bottom,” “aft,” “behind,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as it is oriented in the drawings or as it is oriented when it is inserted within an electronic device that is resting upright on a flat and level, horizontal surface. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may assume various alternative configurations when the invention is moved about or the electronic device, for example, is situated in a non-upright relationship. It is also to be understood that the specific elements illustrated in the figures and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the invention. Therefore, specific dimensions, orientations, and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered limiting.
As employed herein, the term “functional layer” means a component of a system of the present invention, which contains data in or on this layer, serves an optical function, or in another manner, serves as a source of information.
As employed herein, “destruction of the functionality of the functional layer” means destroying all or part of the entire functional layer, but a sufficient amount to preclude effective, unauthorized use of or access to the functional layer.
As employed herein, the term “reactive layer” refers to a layer, which is structured to be activated in such a manner as to destroy the functionality of a functional layer to the point where it no longer provides the desired data information or function even if such destruction of the layer is, in a physical sense, only partial. The reactive layer may preferably be positioned adjacent to a functional layer regardless of whether there are interposed layers therebetween.
As employed herein, the statement that two or more parts are “attached,” “connected,” “coupled,” or “engaged” together shall mean that the parts are joined together either directly or joined indirectly through one or more intermediate parts.
As employed herein, the statement that data is coupled to, provided on, or stored on a part shall mean that the data is coupled to, provided on, or stored on a part directly indirectly through one or more intermediate parts.
As used herein, the term “plasma spraying” means melting and transference of reactants, such as, for example, a metal coating or an intermetallic alloying compound to a mold by use of a nontransferred arc. Typically, with plasma spraying, a powder, rarely a liquid, suspension, or wire, is introduced into a plasma jet, emanating from a plasma torch. In the jet, where the temperature is on the order of about 10,000 Kelvin, the material is melted and propelled toward a mold upon which the reactants are deposited. On the mold, the molten reactants flatten, solidify, and form a data destruction system. The component reactants can be applied by either simultaneous co-spraying or by formation of several alternate fuel and oxidizer layers. Commonly, free-standing parts are produced by removing the deposited reactants from the mold to yield the destruction system.
As used herein, the term “vapor deposition” or “physical vapor deposition” (“PVD”) means the growth of a thin film of reactants on a carrier substrate in which a material, such as, for example, metal and oxidizer reactants or alloying reactants, are sequentially either evaporated or sputtered onto the carrier substrate in a vacuum to yield the destruction system reactive layer.
In
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a) show a disk 50 having a destruction system using a co-sprayed plasma reactive layer 52 with functional layers 54 and protective layer 56 applied to one side.
a) show a disk 60 having a destruction system formed using alternate plasma sprayed fuel and oxidizer sub-layers 62, 64 or alloying metal and alloying metal sub-layers 62, 64. Where a fuel (conductive metal) and oxidizer (non-conductive dielectric) are used, a capacitor is formed. A plurality of tabs 66, 68 on alternative conductor layers provide leads for charge storage in the body of the reactive layer. Inert protective layer 70 overlies layer 72.
Referring to
a) show disk 80 having an expanded plasma deposited reactive layer, which is similar to 44 (
With reference to
The oxidizable metal 62 (
Reactive layer ignition can be accomplished by impingement of a high temperature flame or jet from a secondary device on the reactive surface. Alternatively, electrical energy can be used by direct electrode contact with the reactive surface or arcing to the grounded reactive surface. The structural and functional integrity of the functional layer will be destroyed by such ignition.
With regard to certain plasma sprayed embodiments, one could use the natural capacitance of the thin layers of the reactants forming the destruction system to control and/or initiate ignition of the destruction system. One could use the charge stored in the thin layers of the reactants forming the destruction system to ignite the destruction system. In
Referring to
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended hereto and any and all equivalents thereof.