Static information storage and retrieval – Format or disposition of elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-09-18
Nelms, David (Department: 2818)
Static information storage and retrieval
Format or disposition of elements
C073S105000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292382
ABSTRACT:
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention deals with the area of high density optical memories which can be extended to nanoswitches and nanoswitch arrays. The essence of the invention is electrical, chemical, thermal, magnetic and/or optical excitation of a material by a scanned probe microscope tip. The material changes one of its characteristics as a result of the excitation in a way that can be sensed by the supersensitive force sensing capabilities of the scanned probe microscope tip and can be reversed at will with the same nanometric tip. The invention also can be readily extended to the formation of nanoswitches and nanoswitch arrays.
2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Scanned probe microscopes can potentially write and read information with nonometric precision and high density. A recent study has shown [S. Hoen, H. J. Mamin and D. Rugar, AppI. Phys. Lett. 64,267 (1994)] that one of most sensitive ways to read information is by measuring an alteration using the force sensing capabilities of the scanned probe tip that imposed the change. However, this study also highlights the fact that using the approach of this study, which involved simply heating the surface and imposing a local structural change, it is not possible to reverse the process and make a write, read and erase cycle. The present invention focuses on an approach that indicates how such a write, read and erase cycle could be completed. This also leads to nanoswitches and nanoswitch arrays.
3. STATE OF PRIOR ART
There is no invention in the prior art that describes a process for write, read and erase high density memories or ultrasensitive switches that were able to use the supersensitive capabilities of force sensing of the imposed change using scanned probe techniques.
4. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method and a device that permits the erasable recording of information in nanometric dimensionalities using a scanned probe tip. The changes are then sensed by the supersensitive capabilities of the force sensing attributes of the tip. Subsequently the written information can be erased with one of the attribute of the same probe. The invention allows the separation of the writing and the erasing operation from the supersensitive reading operation. The invention can also form supersensitive nanoswitches and nanoswitch arrays.
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patent: 5038322 (1991-08-01), Van Loenen
patent: 5144581 (1992-09-01), Toda et al.
patent: 5237529 (1993-08-01), Spitzer
patent: 5547774 (1996-08-01), Gimzewski et al.
patent: 6079255 (2000-06-01), Binnig et al.
Jones Tullar & Cooper PC
Nanoptics, Inc.
Nelms David
Tran M.
LandOfFree
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