AVS 46th International Symposium
    Nanometer-scale Science and Technology Division Wednesday Sessions
       Session NS-WeM

Invited Paper NS-WeM1
"MILLIPEDE" - A Highly Parallel, Very Dense AFM-Based Data Storage System

Wednesday, October 27, 1999, 8:20 am, Room 612

Session: Nanopatterning
Presenter: P. Vettiger, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
Authors: P. Vettiger, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
M. Despont, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
U. Drechsler, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
U. Dürig, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
W. Häberle, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
M.I. Lutwyche, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
H. Rothuizen, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
R. Stutz, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
R. Widmer, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
G.K. Binnig, IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland
Correspondent: Click to Email
We report on an alternative storage approach based on scanning probe techniques having areal density potential far beyond and data rates comparable to today's magnetic-recording techniques.@footnote 1,2@ Ultra-high areal density is achieved by thermomechanical writing/reading in very thin polymer films, and the high data rate by highly parallel operation of very large, 2D cantilever/tip arrays.@footnote 2@ Potential for ultra-high density was demonstrated by 40-nm bit indents and 40-nm bit pitch in 50-nm-thick polymers films (PMMA), resulting in 400 Gbit/sq inch.@footnote 3@ We also demonstrated, for the first time, large area thermal data erasing/rewriting in such polymer films. First functional 32x32 (1024) cantilever array chips were fabricated,@footnote 4@ which are among the densest VLSI-NanoEMS chips. The 32x32 array is fabricated on an 3x3 mm area of a 7x14-mm silicon chip. Four integrated approaching/leveling sensors in the four corners control the simultaneous approach of the entire chip. While the feedback control system keeps the chip leveled and the tips in contact with the media, the media is scanned in the X and Y directions. Writing/reading is controlled by a time-multiplexed row/column addressing scheme. Similar micromaching techniques were used to fabricate a silicon micromagnetic X/Y/Z scanner with integrated Cu coils.@footnote 5@ We present details on the MILLIPEDE storage concept, the thermomechanical write/read/erase processes/results as well as the VLSI-NEMS chip and micromagnetic X/Y/Z scanner fabrication. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ H.J. Mamin et al., IBM J. Res. Develop. 39, 681 (1995). @footnote 2@ P. Vettiger et al., Proc. Int'l Conf. on Micro- and Nanoengineering 98, Leuven, Belgium, Sept. 1998, to appear in J. Microelectron. Eng. @footnote 3@ G. Binnig et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 1329 (1999). @footnote 4@ M. Despont et al., Technical Digest MEMS'99, p. 564 (IEEE, 1999). @footnote 5@ M. Lutwyche et al., Proc. 194th ECS Mtg., Boston, MA (in press).