High density data storage based on the atomic force microscope

In this study, an approach to atomic force microscope (AFM)-based storage was explored based on mechanical readback of topographic data. To this end, low-mass silicon cantilevers with integrated piezoresistive sensors were fabricated. By reducing the cantilever mass, the mechanical response time was reduced to as low as 90 ns. These cantilevers were developed for both read-only applications and write-once applications.