Highly parallel data storage system based on scanning probe arrays

This letter discusses an alternative storage approach to conventional magnetic data storage. The approach uses a 32×32 array of scanning probe microscopes working in parallel to read and write data as small indentations in a polymer storage medium. The results have densities of 100-200 Gbit/in.2. At such densities, it is shown that well over half the array works, and at lower densities more than 80% of levers are working. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.