Method of and system for atomic scale recording of information

A method of atomic scale recording of binary formatted information on an associated recording medium comprising the steps of:

• providing an adsorbent carrier having adsorbent properties for adsorbate atomic particles, said adsorbate atomic particles having a stable adhesion bond relative to said adsorbent carrier,
• scanning in raster scan fashion said carrier surface with recording electrode means having a probe in close proximity to said carrier surface,
• maintaining a localized ambient of electrically neutral adsorbate atomic particles in the immediate vicinity of said electrode means probe,
• applying a modulated signal information to said recording electrode means during the step of scanning wherein the applied signal peak values are of sufficient magnitude to create a tunnel current effect between said probe tip and said adsorbent carrier to sequentially induce individual of said adsorbate atomic particles to become adsorbent and to individually adhere to said carrier surface and form said bond with said carrier surface according to said modulated signal,
• the pattern of said adsorbate atomic particles selectively and sequentially deposited on said carrier surface representative of binary formatted information.

An atomic scale recording information system for recording binary formatted information including a recording medium comprising

• an adsorbent carrier,
• a layer of adsorbate atomic particles deposited on a surface of said adsorbent carrier wherein said particles have an adsorptive affinity for said adsorbent carrier due, at least in part, to the electrical charge attraction properties of said adsorbent carrier,
• recording electrode means having a probe positioned with its tip in proximity to said carrier surface,
• means to scan said carrier surface with said recording electrode means probe in raster scan fashion,
• means to apply a modulated information signal to said recording electrode means wherein the applied signal peak values are of sufficient magnitude to create a tunnel current effect between said probe tip and said adsorbent carrier to sequentially induce individual of said deposited adsorbate atomic particles to be released from said carrier surface,
• the pattern of said adsorbate atomic particles remaining on said carrier surface representative of binary formatted information.

An atomic scale recording information system for recording binary formatted information including a recording medium comprising

• an adsorbent carrier,
• recording electrode means having a probe positioned with its tip in proximity to a surface of said adsorbent carrier,
• a localized ambient of electrically neutral adsorbate atomic particles in the immediate vicinity of said probe tip,
• means to scan said carrier surface with said recording electrode means probe in raster scan fashion,
• means to apply a modulated information signal to said recording electrode means wherein the applied signal peak values are of sufficient magnitude to create a tunnel current effect between said probe tip and said adsorbent carrier to sequentially induce individual of said ambient adsorbate atomic particles to become adsorbent and to individually adhere to said carrier surface,
• the pattern of said adsorbate atomic particles selectively and sequentially deposited on said carrier surface representative of formatted binary recorded information.