WRITING AND READING BIT ARRAYS FOR INFORMATION-STORAGE USING CONDUCTANCE CHANGE OF A LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILM INDUCED BY SCANNING-TUNNELING-MICROSCOPY

We demonstrate writing and reading bit arrays for information storage using an atomic force microscope with an electrically conducting probe and a medium consisting of a polyimide Langmuir-Blodgett film. In thi s system, data bits of 10 nm in diameter were written by application o f voltage pulses with the conducting probe, and were read out by detec ting the change in current. Topographical change was hardly observed a t the data bits. A bit array of about 10(3) bits which contained infor mation such as binary encoded characters was written and was successfu lly read out. The way to write and read the data bits with higher rate is discussed. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.