Storage device having a probe with a tip to form a groove in a storage medium

Abstract

A storage device comprises a probe having a tip. The storage device also comprises a storage medium, with the tip of the probe to form the groove in the storage medium. The probe tip interacts with a surface of the groove to store and read data.

1 . A method of storing data in a storage device, comprising: 
 providing a probe having a tip attached to the probe;    forming a groove in a storage medium using the tip of the probe; and    engaging the tip of the probe with a bottom surface of the groove to store data in respective storage cells of the storage medium by forming plural perturbations in the bottom surface of the groove, wherein the perturbations are part of respective storage cells.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 providing a second probe having a tip;    forming a second groove in the surface of the storage medium using the tip of the second probe; and    engaging the tip of the second probe with a bottom surface of the second groove to store data in respective additional storage cells by forming plural perturbations in the bottom surface of the second groove.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the storage medium has a first layer and second layer, wherein forming the groove comprises forming the groove through the first layer such that the bottom surface of the groove is provided by the second layer.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein forming the perturbations comprises forming the perturbations in the second layer.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein forming the perturbations comprises forming dents in the second layer.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein forming the grooves with the tips of the probes comprises heating the tips of the probe to melt the surface of the storage medium.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein forming the perturbations in the bottom surfaces of the grooves are performed with respective tips of the probes, wherein the perturbations represent data bits of corresponding storage cells.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising moving the storage medium with respect to the first and second probes to scan the tips of the probes along respective grooves to detect the one or more perturbations.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the groove in the storage medium comprises forming the groove through a first layer of the storage medium, the first layer formed of at least one of a polymer, a phase change material, and a liquid crystal material.  
     
     
         10 . A storage device comprising: 
 a probe having a tip; and    a storage medium having storage cells and a groove formed in the storage medium by the tip of the probe, the groove having a surface to interact with the tip of the probe to store data at plural locations along the surface of the groove, wherein the plural locations correspond to plural corresponding storage cells.    
     
     
         11 . The storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the storage medium has at least a first layer and a second layer, the first layer disposed over the second layer, the groove extending through the first layer, the first and second layers having different melting temperatures.  
     
     
         12 . The storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the groove has a bottom surface provided by the second layer, and wherein the groove has sidewalls with each sidewall provided by at least the first layer, and wherein the tip of the probe stores data at the plural locations along the bottom surface of the groove by selectively forming dents at the plural locations, the dents formed into the second layer.  
     
     
         13 . The storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the tip of the probe is heatable and deflectable to create the groove.  
     
     
         14 . The storage device of  claim 10 , further comprising a second probe having a tip, wherein the storage medium has a second groove formed in the storage medium by the tip of the second probe.  
     
     
         15 . The storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the storage medium has a first layer formed of at least one of a polymer, a phase change material, and a liquid crystal material, and wherein the groove is formed through the first layer.  
     
     
         16 . A system comprising: 
 a processor; and    a storage device comprising: 
 a probe having a tip; and  
 a storage medium having a surface, wherein the storage medium has a first layer that provides the surface, the first layer formed of a polymer, and wherein the tip of the probe is adapted to form a track in the first layer, the track having a surface to interact with the tip of the probe to store data.  
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the tip of the probe is heatable to a first temperature to form the track, and wherein the tip of the probe is heatable to a second temperature less than the first temperature to form a perturbation in the surface of the track to represent a first state of a data bit.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the perturbation comprises a dent.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a second probe having a tip adapted to form a second, parallel track in the surface of the storage medium.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the storage medium further has a second layer, the track formed through the first layer such that the surface of the groove that interacts with the tip of the probe is provided by the second layer.