Method for manufacturing a molding tool used for substrate molding

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for making mold tools. More particularly, the mold tools are used for molding a resin substrate which has fine pits, i.e., concavities and protuberances. The invention also pertains to a method for manufacturing a resin substrate. Such resin substrates may be used as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a hard disk, etc., for recording data. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a first metallic (Ni) mold tool (father) is made which is a duplicate of a master substrate, then a resin mold tool (mother) is made which is a duplicate of the first metallic mold tool and finally a second metallic (Ni) mold tool (son) is made which is a duplicate of the resin mold tool. Both the father and son may be referred to a “stamper”. The invention also relates to methods of manufacturing a mold tool for molding the base of an optical disk having at least one signal recording region and at least one non-signal recording region. The invention also relates to stampers used to make optical disks which have a signal recording region and a non-signal recording region.

1 . An apparatus comprising at least two marks in a non-signal recording region wherein a first mark identifies a substrate as a master substrate and a second mark identifies a stamper.  
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first mark and the second mark have a concave/convex pattern.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where is the stamper is one of a father, mother, and son stampers.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the father stamper is made using a common master bearing the first mark indicating a number of times the master substrate has been used.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the mother stamper is made using a common father stamper bearing the second mark indicating a number of times the father stamper has been used.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the son stamper is made using a common mother stamper bearing the second mark indicating a number of times the mother stamper has been used.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a master substrate having a first mark identifying the substrate;    a stamper having a second mark identifying the stamper, the first and second marks having concave/convex pattern, the stamper being formed using the master substrate.    
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second marks are of same pattern.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second marks are of different patterns.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the marks locate on a non-signal recording region.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the stamper is one of a father, mother, and son stampers.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the father stamper is formed using the master substrate.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the mother stamper is formed using the father stamper.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the son stamper is formed using the mother stamper.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the second mark identifies the mother stamper.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the second mark identifies one of the father and son stampers.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a master substrate having a first mark identifying the substrate;    a stamper having a second mark identifying the stamper, the stamper is formed using the master substrate, the first mark indicating a number of times the master substrate has been used.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the first and second marks have concave/convex pattern.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the first and second marks have same pattern.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein, the first and second marks have different patterns.