Magnetostrictive/electrostrictive thin film memory

Abstract

A data storage system is described which includes a magnetostrictive, anisotropic, ferromagnetic film whose domains exhibit a preferred orientation and are initially poled in one direction along the preferred orientation. A field is applied in opposition to the one direction, the field being insufficient to cause a switching of the poled domains. An electrostrictive film is placed in contact with the ferromagnetic film and a writing system is provided to actuate the electrostrictive film to impart stresses to the ferromagnetic film at selected locations. The induced stresses reduce the anisotropy energy of the ferromagnetic film at the selected locations and enable the domains thereat to become poled in accordance with the applied field. In one version of the invention, the writing means comprises a directed energy beam such as a laser or electron beam. In another version, the writing system employs surface acoustic waves in combination with a scanned energy beam.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.