This paper reports recent advancements in the development ofa microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based data storagesystem that uses an array of heated atomic force microscope(AFM) cantilevers to write, read, and erase nanometer-scale databits in thin polymer film. The cantilever tip contacts the polymerand induces highly local heating and melting to form data bitindentations with a radius of curvature near 20 nm. The samecantilever can be used to thermally detect the presence ofpreviously written bits through operation as an anemometer. Thispaper reports detailed measurement of cantilever heating forunderstanding and improving reading and writing operation,improved understanding of the bit formation process that makespossible data density near 0.9 Tbit/in2, the realization of a singlebiterasing process that employs the highly local melting in thepolymer during data writing, and detailed measurement of thethermal reading process. The controlled writing, reading, anderasing of data bits reported in this paper complete the basictechnological requirements for the development of a data storagesystem.
展开▼
