Magnetic millipede for ultra high density magnetic storage

Abstract

The present invention relates to computer storage systems which have a tip (24) directed close or in contact to the storage medium (10) by which bit-writing and bit-reading is enforced. It is proposed to use a magnetizable storage medium (10), expose it to an artificial, external magnetic field H coupled externally to the storage medium, and—during bit writing—to concurrently apply heat very locally in bit size dimension in order to let the external magnetic field become locally larger than the (temperature-dependent) coercive field at the location (32) where heat is applied. Further, a two-dimensional array of cantilever tips (24) is advantageously used in an inventional storage system each of which tips serves as a heat source when it is activated by a current flowing through a resistive path within said tip (24) and producing the necessary temperature at the small storage medium location (32) where the bit writing is intended in order to approach the Curie temperature or the compensation temperature of the magnetic material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.