Direct access storage unit using tunneling current techniques
US4831614A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 13, 1987 |
| Grant date | May 16, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 13, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S977/947
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The storage unit comprises an array of tunnel tips (13) arranged at tunneling distance from a recording surface (2a) of a storage medium (2) which is capable of permitting digital information to be written or read through variations of the tunneling current. The storage medium (2) is attached to the free end of a piezoceramic bendable tube (3). In operation, the free end of the tube (3) is moved in a circular orbit by repetitive sequential energization of oppositely arranged pairs of 90.degree. phase shifted electrodes (4,6 and 5,7). This tube movement causes each tunnel tip (13) to scan a respective unique associated annular area of the storage medium (2). To address a particular concentric track in a particular annular area, tunneling current is applied to the associated tip (13) via respective electrodes (16,18) while, concurrently, a potential is applied via electrodes (4,6 and 5,7) to tube (3) of a magnitude corresponding to the desired orbital diameter for the tube.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.