Method and construction for recording and retrieving information with an electron beam

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR INFORMATION STORAGE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) DIFFERENTIALLY IRRADIATING A SURFACE OF A SHEET-LIKE STORAGE MEDIUM INITIALLY CAPABLE OF EMITTING PHOTONS UNIFORMLY FROM A SURFACE THEREOF IN RESPONSE TO UNIFORM ELECTRON EXCILIATION OF A SURFACE THEREOF, AND INITIALLY CAPABLE OF CHEMICALLY AND INTERNALLY ALTERING ITS ABILITY TO RADIATE PHOTON ENERGY FROM ONE SURFACE THEREOF UPON EXPOSURE OF THAT SURFACE TO SAID DIFFERENTIAL IRRADIATION, THEREBY CREATING A LATENT IMAGE-WISE PATTERN IS SAID IRRADIATED SURFACE, SAID MEDIUM COMPRISING A DISCRETE UNDEVELOPED SILVER HALIDE LAYER OF A MULTI-LAYER CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING IN ADDITION A FLUORESCENT LAYER AND A CONDUCTIVE LAYER; (B) SUBJECTING THE SO-IRRADIATED SURFACE TO DEVELOPMENT SO AS TO CREATE AN IMAGE-WISE PATTERN OF SILVER DEPOSITS WITHIN SAID MEDIUM ADJACENT THE SO-IRRAIDIATED SURFACE THEREOF; AND (C) SUBSEQUENTLY EXPOSING A SURFACE OF THE RESULTING STORAGE MEDIUM TO UNIFORM ELECTRON EXCITATION SO AS TO CAUSE ONE SURFACE OF THE SO-DEVELOPED STORAGE MEDIUM TO PRODUCE PHOTON EMISSION DIFFERENTIALLY IN A MANNER REPRESENTATIVE OF SAID INITIAL DIFFERENTIAL IRRADIATION.