Method and means for data storage using tunnel current data readout
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorCalvin F. Quate
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a digital memory in which data is stored by establishing perturbations in a surface of a substrate and thereafter identifying the perturbations by establishing a tunnel electron current between the surface of the substrate and a movable probe. The perturbations can be physical, electrical, or magnetic, for example, such that the tunneling electron current is affected thereby. Storage area for a bit of data can be reduced to the order of 10.sup.-4 square microns, and the volume of a 100 megabyte mass storage can be reduced to the order of a cubic centimeter.
Claims21
A data memory comprising a substrate having a major surface, means for selectively forming perturbations in said surface, and probe means for detecting the presence of said perturbations, said probe means including a conductive probe, means for moving said conductive probe in close proximity to and spaced from the layer, means for voltage biasing said probe and said substrate whereby a tunnel electron current flows between said surface and said conductive probe, and means for measuring said tunnel electron current.
A data memory comprising a substrate having a major surface, a first layer of dielectric material on said major surface, a second layer of material on said first layer, means for selectively establishing electrical charge at the interface of said two layers, and probe means for detecting the presence of charge at said interface, said probe means including a conductive probe, means for moving said conductive probe in close proximity to and spaced from the surface of said second layer, means for voltage biasing said probe and said substrate whereby a tunnel electron current flows between said second layer and said conductive probe, and means for measuring said tunnel electron current.
A method of recording and reading data bits in a data storage means including a substrate, a first dielectric layer on a surface of said substrate, and a second conductive layer of material on said first layer, said method comprising the steps of selectively establishing electrical charge at the interface of said first and second layers, establishing tunnel currents between the surface of said second layer and a probe positioned in close proximity to and spaced from said surface, and measuring said tunnel current as the space between said probe and said surface is varied.
A method of recording and reading data bits in a data storage means including a substrate having a major surface, said method comprising the steps of selectively establishing perturbations in said surface, establishing a tunnel electron current between the surface of said material and a probe positioned in close proximity to and spaced from said surface, and measuring said tunnel electron current to thereby identify changes in current due to said perturbations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.