ULTRAHIGH DENSITY DATA-STORAGE FROM LOCAL POLYMERIZATION BY A SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE

Ultrahigh density data storage from local polymerization on an organic thin film is demonstrated by using a scanning tunneling microscope (S TM) operating in air. An organic monomer material, which may become el ectrical conductive by polymerization, is selected as data storage mat erial. Films prepared by the monomer material are used for data record ing. By applying a high electric field with the STM tip to realize loc al polymerization, highly stable recorded patterns with molecule-sized recorded marks have been performed. One recorded mark corresponds to a polymeric molecule in the film. The marks are 0.8 nm in size. The ne arest distance between two recorded marks is 1.2 nm. Having been read 2000 times the recorded patterns show no discernible change. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)04148-5].