A highly parrallel probe-based storage system

Ultrahigh storage densities of up to 1 Tbiti/in2 have been achieved by using local probe techniques to write, read back, and erase data in very thin polymer films. The thermomechanical scanning-probe-based data storage concept, which we internally called “millipede”, combines ultrahigh density, small form factor, and high data rates through highly parallel operation of a large number of probes. This presentation describes the basic principle of operation, the micro/nano-electro-mechanical-system (MNEMS) aspects, and a new wafer-to-wafer chip-transfer technology to transfer the probe arrays onto a CMOS-based read/write channel array chips.