Thermo-mechanical probe storage at Mbps single-probe data rates and Tbit in⁻² densities

Future applications for parallel probes, including probe-based data storage and probe lithography, demand that probe technologies achieve patterning rates in the megahertz per probe range at feature sizes below 30 nm, i.e. ∼1 Tbit in⁻². If thermo-mechanical indentation of polymers is employed, some uncertainty remains as to whether the physics governing the indentation kinetics at these short timescales permits the fast indentation processes required. We demonstrate the feasibility of using polymer media for thermo-mechanical probe storage or lithography, at sliding speeds of 15 mm s⁻¹ and sub-microsecond indentation times, which fall into this previously untapped regime.