The "millipede" - nanotechnology entering data storage

TLDR

The paper introduces the “millipede”, a scanning‑probe data‑storage concept that promises ultrahigh density, terabit capacity, a small form factor, and high data rates. The millipede uses a thermomechanical local‑probe technique on thin polymer films, coupled with large, silicon‑fabricated 2‑D AFM arrays and time‑multiplexed electronics to enable parallel write/read/erase cycles and high data rates. The prototype achieved nanometer‑scale bit indentations yielding up to 1 Tb/in² density, and the 32×32 AFM cantilever array—VLSI‑integrated on a single chip—reached initial areal densities of 100–200 Gb/in².

Abstract

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.