Multi-Probe with Metallic Tips for Ferroelectric Recording Probe Storage

This paper reports on the development and evaluation of various multi-probes consisted of silicon cantilevers with different types of tips made of platinum, ruthenium, chromium and diamond for probe-based ultra-high-density ferroelectric data storages beyond 1 Tbit/inch . The metal probes can write and read the data bits on a medium with contact operation. We performed wear tests on the various tips of probe against a ferroelectric medium. Obvious wear of the tips cannot be observed except for the platinum-tip. Spontaneously polarized domain distribution of LiTaO₃ was measured by means of scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy using ruthenium tip probe.