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The Millipede – A Nanotechnology-Based AFM Data-Storage System

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Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology

Part of the book series: Springer Handbooks ((SHB))

Abstract

The millipede concept presented in this chapter is a new approach to storing data at high speed and ultrahigh density. The interesting part is that millipede stores digital information in a completely different way from magnetic hard disks, optical disks, and transistor-based memory chips. The ultimate locality is provided by a tip, and high data rates are a result of massive parallel operation of such tips. As storage medium, polymer films are being considered, although the use of other media, in particular magnetic materials, has not been ruled out. The current effort is focused on demonstrating the millipede concept with areal densities higher than 1 Tb/inch2 and parallel operation of very large two-dimensional (2-D) (up to 64 × 64) atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever arrays with integrated tips and write/read/erase functionality. The fabrication and integration of such a large number of mechanical devices (cantilever beams) will lead to what we envision as the very large-scale integration (VLSI) age of micro- and nanomechanics.

In this chapter, the millipede concept for a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based storage device is described in detail. In particular, various aspects pertaining to AFM thermomechanical read/write/erase functions, 2-D array fabrication and characteristics, x, y, z microscanner design, polymer media properties, read channel modeling, servo control and synchronization, as well as modulation coding techniques suitable for probe-based data-storage devices are discussed.

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Abbreviations

AC:

alternating-current

AC:

amorphous carbon

ADC:

analog-to-digital converter

AFM:

atomic force microscope

AFM:

atomic force microscopy

BP:

bit pitch

DC:

direct-current

DRAM:

dynamic random-access memory

MEMS:

microelectromechanical system

PC:

polycarbonate

PDMS:

polydimethylsiloxane

PECVD:

plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

PES:

photoemission spectroscopy

PES:

position error signal

PMMA:

poly(methyl methacrylate)

SEM:

scanning electron microscope

SEM:

scanning electron microscopy

SRC:

sampling rate converter

STM:

scanning tunneling microscope

STM:

scanning tunneling microscopy

TP:

track pitch

VCO:

voltage-controlled oscillator

VLSI:

very large-scale integration

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Definiens AG, Trappentreustr. 1, 80339, Munich, Germany

    Gerd K. Binnig

  2. Tape Technologies, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Giovanni Cherubini

  3. IBM Zurich Research Laboratory Micro- and Nanofabrication, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Michel Despont

  4. IBM Zurich Research Laboratory Micro-/Nanofabrication, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Urs T. Dürig

  5. IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Evangelos Eleftheriou

  6. Storage Technologies, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Haralampos Pozidis

  7. SAMLAB, University of Neuchâtel, Jaquet-Droz 1, 2002, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Peter Vettiger

Authors
  1. Gerd K. Binnig
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  2. Giovanni Cherubini
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  3. Michel Despont
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  4. Urs T. Dürig
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  5. Evangelos Eleftheriou
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  6. Haralampos Pozidis
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  7. Peter Vettiger
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Gerd K. Binnig , Giovanni Cherubini , Michel Despont , Urs T. Dürig , Evangelos Eleftheriou , Haralampos Pozidis or Peter Vettiger .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ohio State University, Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio- and Nanotechnology and Biomimetics (NLB2), 201 W. 19th Avenue, 43210-1142, Columbus, OH, USA

    Bharat Bhushan

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Binnig, G.K. et al. (2010). The Millipede – A Nanotechnology-Based AFM Data-Storage System. In: Bhushan, B. (eds) Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02525-9_45

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