The "millipede" - nanotechnology entering data storage

Present a new scanning-probe-based data-storage concept called the "millipede" that combines ultrahigh density, terabit capacity, small form factor, and high data rate. Ultrahigh storage density has been demonstrated by a new thermomechanical local-probe technique to store, read back, and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on nanotechnology 2002-03, Vol.1 (1), p.39-55
Main Authors: Vettiger, P., Cross, G., Despont, M., Drechsler, U., Durig, U., Gotsmann, B., Haberle, W., Lantz, M.A., Rothuizen, H.E., Stutz, R., Binnig, G.K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Arrays
Atomic force microscopy
Atomic layer deposition
Chips
Data storage
Density
Electronics
Exact sciences and technology
Large scale integration
Memory
Miscellaneous
Molecular electronics, nanoelectronics
Nanostructure
Nanotechnology
Parallel operation
Polymer films
Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices
Silicon
Storage and reproduction of information
Thermomechanical processes
Thin films
Two dimensional displays
Very large scale integration
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Summary:Present a new scanning-probe-based data-storage concept called the "millipede" that combines ultrahigh density, terabit capacity, small form factor, and high data rate. Ultrahigh storage density has been demonstrated by a new thermomechanical local-probe technique to store, read back, and erase data in very thin polymer films. With this new technique, nanometer-sized bit indentations and pitch sizes have been made by a single cantilever/tip into thin polymer layers, resulting in a data storage densities of up to 1 Tb/in/sup 2/. High data rates are achieved by parallel operation of large two-dimensional (2-D) atomic force microscope (AFM) arrays that have been batch-fabricated by silicon surface-micromachining techniques. The very large-scale integration (VLSI) of micro/nanomechanical devices (cantilevers/tips) on a single chip leads to the largest and densest 2-D array of 32/spl times/32 (1024) AFM cantilevers with integrated write/read/erase storage functionality ever built. Time-multiplexed electronics control the functional storage cycles for parallel operation of the millipede array chip. Initial areal densities of 100-200 Gb/in/sup 2/ have been achieved with the 32/spl times/32 array chip.
ISSN:1536-125X
1941-0085
DOI:10.1109/TNANO.2002.1005425