DATA-STORAGE WITH 0.7 NM RECORDING MARKS ON A CRYSTALLINE ORGANIC THIN-FILM BY A SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE

Ultrahigh density data storage on a novel organic thin film by scannin g tunneling microscope (STM) under ambient conditions is demonstrated. The material, N-(3-nitrobenzyridene)-p-phenylenediamine (NBPDA), is u sed for preparing thin film by vacuum evaporation method. Crystalline NBPDA films with electrical bistability are obtained by this method. R ecording experiment on the films is made by applying voltage pulses be tween the STM tip and substrate. The recorded marks are 0.7 nm in size , corresponding to a storage density of 10(14) bit/cm(2). Current-volt age characteristic measurement shows that the resistance of the unreco rded region of the NBPDA films is much higher than that of the recorde d region. The mechanism of recording is discussed. (C) 1998 American I nstitute of Physics.