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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 here is a new approach for 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 of up to 0.5–1 Tb/in2 and parallel operation of very large 2-D (up to 64 × 64) 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 VLSI age of micro- and nanomechanics.

In this chapter, the millipede concept for a 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

AFM:

atomic force microscope/microscopy

BP:

bit pitch

MEMS:

microelectromechanical systems

PDMS:

polydimethylsiloxane

PECVD:

plasma enhanced CVD

PES:

position error signal

PMMA:

poly(methylmethacrylate)

SEM:

scanning electron microscope/microscopy

STM:

scanning tunneling microscope/microscopy

TP:

track pitch

VCO:

voltage-controlled oscillator

VLSI:

very large-scale integration

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Acknowledgements

It is our pleasure to acknowledge our colleagues T. Albrecht, T. Antonakopoulos, P. Bächtold, A. Dholakia, U. Drechsler, B. Gotsmann, W. Häberle, D. Jubin, M.A. Lantz, T. Loeliger, H.E. Rothuizen, R. Stutz, and D. Wiesmann for their invaluable contributions to the millipede project.

In addition, thanks and appreciation go to H. Rohrer for his contribution to the initial millipede vision and concept and to our former collaborators, J. Brugger, now at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (Switzerland), M.I. Lutwyche, now at Seagate, Pittsburg, IL, and W.P. King, now at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, as well as to K. Goodson, T.W. Kenny, and C.F. Quate of Stanford University, CA.

We are also pleased to acknowledge stimulating discussions with and encouraging support from our colleagues W. Bux and P.F. Seidler of the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, J. Mamin, D. Rugar, and B.D. Terris of the IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA, and G. Hefferon of IBM, East Fishkill, NY.

Special thanks go to J. Frommer, C. Hawker, J. Mamin, and R. Miller of the IBM Almaden Research Center for their enthusiastic support in identifying and synthesizing alternative polymer media materials, and to H. Dang, A. Sharma, and S. Sri-Jayantha of the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, for their contributions to the work on servo control.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Micro-/Nanomechanics, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Säumerstraße 4, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Gerd K. Binnig Dr.

  2. Storage Technologies, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Säumerstraße 4, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Giovanni Cherubini Dr.

  3. Micro-/Nanomechanics, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Säumerstraße 4, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Michel Despont Dr.

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

    Urs T. Dürig Dr.

  5. Storage Technologies, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Säumerstraße 4, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Evangelos Eleftheriou Dr.

  6. Storage Technologies, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Säumerstraße 4, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Haralampos Pozidis Dr.

  7. Manager Micro-/Nanomechanics, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Säumerstraße 4, 8803, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

    Peter Vettiger Dr.

Authors
  1. Gerd K. Binnig Dr.
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  2. Giovanni Cherubini Dr.
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  4. Urs T. Dürig Dr.
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  5. Evangelos Eleftheriou Dr.
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  6. Haralampos Pozidis Dr.
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  7. Peter Vettiger Dr.
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nanotribology Laboratory for Information Storage and MEMS/NEMS, The Ohio State University, 206 W. 18th Avenue, 43210-1107, Columbus, OH, USA

    Bharat Bhushan Prof.

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Binnig, G.K. et al. (2004). 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/10.1007/3-540-29838-X_31

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29838-X_31

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-01218-4

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