US5216631A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Microvibratory memory device
Assignee: IP Foundry Inc
•
Filing: 1990-11-02
•
Granted: 1993-06-01
•
Expires: 2010-11-02
Abstract
Abstract A memory device whose media scanning is vibrationally (cyclic harmonic vibration) or inertially (one-time pulsed read/write) driven is provided, comprising a plurality of cantilevers (7, 7', 7"), attached at one end and capable of vibrating. On the opposite end of each cantilever is disposed an array of storage bits (26). Opposite the surface of each cantilever having such a bit array is a read/-write head (27) which is similar in nature to a scanning tunneling microscopy or atomic force microscopy scanning-tip. Electronic support circuitry is provided to implement the memory device of the invention. Such circuitry includes a microprocessor (67), a multiplexer/demultiplexer (70), a group of circuits (66) comprising power supplies, sensing circuits and digital/analog and analog/digital conversion circuits,and switching means (65) to permit all of the previous functions to be properly addressed to/from the correct bit/array(s) and mating subdevice(s).
Inventors
- 👤 John W. Sliwa, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 19:33
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B33/00; G11B33/12; G11B33/121; G11B25/00; G11B25/04; G11B33/14; G11B5/00; G11B5/127; G11B5/33; G11B5/35; G11B9/00; G11B9/12; G11B9/14; G11B9/1418; G11B9/1427; G11B9/1436; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; G01; G01Q; G01Q70/00; G01Q70/06; G01Q80/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 103
Claim 1
Independent Claim
241 words
A memory device comprising: (a) at least one member having at least one surface connected to a support means and at least one surface movable by controlled distortion means, said at least one movable surface movable relative to a disposed opposite plane; (b) a plurality of read/write tips; (c) a plurality of bit-arrays; (d) with said read/write tips disposed either on said movable surface or on said opposite plane and said bit-arrays disposed on the other so as to provide motion of said tips relative to said bit-arrays, each of said read/write tips and said bit-arrays separated by a gap; (e) housing means for hermetically sealing groups comprising at least one of said movable members, at least one of said read/write tips, and at least one of said bitarrays from other such groups and from the external environment; (f) said means of controlled structural distortion of said at least one movable member permitting physical addressing by each said read/write tip of its mating bits in its mating bit-array; (g) means for electrically addressing each read/write tip and its mating bit-array for routing incoming bit-streams to at least one of said bit-arrays or for sensing bit-streams being read from at least one of said bit-arrays through at least one of said read/write tips; and (h) means for coarse presetting, fine-controlling, and monitoring said gap between said mating tips and bit-arrays via movement of said tip toward or away from its mating bit-array.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
241 words
A memory device comprising: (a) at least one member having at least one surface connected to a support means and at least one surface movable by controlled distortion means, said at least one movable surface movable relative to a disposed opposite plane; (b) a plurality of read/write tips; (c) a plurality of bit-arrays; (d) with said read/write tips disposed either on said movable surface or on said opposite plane and said bit-arrays disposed on the other so as to provide motion of said tips relative to said bit-arrays, each of said read/write tips and said bit-arrays separated by a gap; (e) housing means for hermetically sealing groups comprising at least one of said movable members, at least one of said read/write tips, and at least one of said bitarrays from other such groups and from the external environment; (f) said means of controlled structural distortion of said at least one movable member permitting physical addressing by each said read/write tip of its mating bits in its mating bit-array; (g) means for electrically addressing each read/write tip and its mating bit-array for routing incoming bit-streams to at least one of said bit-arrays or for sensing bit-streams being read from at least one of said bit-arrays through at least one of said read/write tips; and (h) means for coarse presetting, fine-controlling, and monitoring said gap between said mating tips and bit-arrays via movement of said tip toward or away from its mating bit-array.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein said controlled structural distortion means comprises an electrically deformable material selected from the group consisting of piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and electrostrictive materials, mechanically coupled either directly or indirectly to said at least one movable member having said at least one movable surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
86 words
The memory device of claim 2 wherein said electrically deformable material is selected from the group consisting of α-quartz, lithium sulfate monohydrate, lead zirconate titanate, lead titanate, lead meta-niobate, polyvinylidene fluoride, copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, barium titanate, cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide, cadmium selenide, aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, silica, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, para-tellurite, bismuth germanium oxide, gallium arsenide, doped silicon, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ferroelectric materials having a gadolinium-molybdate β' structure, and materials having the formula ABO 3 , where A and B are cations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The memory device of claim 1 comprising a plurality of movable members comprising flexurally distortable cantilevers attached to said support means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein said at least one movable member comprises a non-distorting plate attached to said support means by means of flexurally distortable springs having their compliance in a direction parallel to the plane of said plate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
100 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein said at least one movable member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glasses, ceramics, oxides, semiconductors, layered transition metal dichalcogenides, graphite, silicon, α-quartz, lithium sulfate monohydrate, lead zirconate titanate, lead titanate, lead meta-niobate, polyvinylidene fluoride, copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, barium titanate, cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide, cadmium selenide, aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, silica, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, para-tellurite, bismuth germanium oxide, gallium arsenide, doped silicon, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ferroelectric materials having a gadolinium-molybdate β' structure, and materials having the formula ABO 3 , where A and B are cations.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein said at least one movable member is electrically extendable for controllably changing said bit-array gap, said electrical extendability supplementing or supplanting said tip movement toward or away from said mating bit array, said extendability motion being independent of said physical addressing distortion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein each said read/write tip is disposed on at least one microactuator stack consisting of an electrically deformable tip support pad having top and bottom surfaces, said pad comprising at least one layer of electrostrictive or piezoelectric material, electrodes on said top and bottom surfaces, a dielectric layer on said electrode on said top surface, and said tip disposed on said dielectric layer, with an interconnection from said tip to said electrical addressing means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The memory device of claim 8 wherein said electrode on said bottom surface disposed beneath each tip support pad is commonly connected.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The memory device of claim 8 wherein said tip comprises an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of tungsten, tungsten-rhenium alloy, platinum, platinum-iridium alloy, doped silicon, refractory metals, and conductive ceramics.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
The memory device of claim 10 wherein said tip is provided with a conductive coating thereon comprising a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, gold, platinum, iridium, rhodium, tungsten, and rhenium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
104 words
The memory device of claim 8 wherein said read/write tip gap fine controlling microactuation means comprises independently distortable pads of piezoelectric or electrostrictive material selected from the group consisting of α-quartz, lithium sulfate monohydrate, lead zirconate titanate, lead titanate, lead meta-niobate, polyvinylidene fluoride, copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, barium titanate, cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide, cadmium selenide, aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, silica, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, para-tellurite, bismuth germanium oxide, gallium arsenide, doped silicon, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ferroelectric materials having a gadolinium-molybdate β' structure, and materials having the formula ABO 3 , where A and B are cations, upon which said tip is disposed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
102 words
The memory device of claim 8 wherein said coarse gap presetting means comprises independently distortable pads of piezoelectric or electrostrictive material selected from the group consisting of α-quartz, lithium sulfate monohydrate, lead zirconate titanate, lead titanate, lead meta-niobate, polyvinylidene fluoride, copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, barium titanate, cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide, cadmium selenide, aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, silica, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, para-tellurite, bismuth germanium oxide, gallium arsenide, doped silicon, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ferroelectric materials having a gadolinium-molybdate β' structure, and materials having the formula ABO 3 , where A and B are cations, on which said microactuator stack is placed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The memory device of claim 8 comprising dual microactuators for each read/write tip, with one microactuator providing fine motion and a second microactuator providing coarse motion.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
58 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein said read/write tip gap fine controlling means comprises independently distortable supports of plate-like diaphragm or cantilever structures on which said tips are placed, said means achieving buckling or bending distortion toward or away from the opposed bit-arrays via external inducement of compressive or tensile stresses in said plate-like diaphragm or cantilever.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The memory device of claim 15 wherein said buckling or bending distortion is achieved by the electrical distortion of a piezoelectric or electrostrictive film disposed on said diaphragm.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
The memory device of claim 15 wherein said buckling or bending distortion is achieved by means capable of creating thermal gradients and thus differential expansion distortion stresses in said diaphragm or by means of uniform heating of said diaphragm relative to its surrounding support structure.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The memory device of claim 15 wherein said buckling or bending distortion is achieved by Coulomb attractive or repulsive forces created between said diaphragm and an adjacent support structure.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The memory device of claim 15 wherein said buckling or bending distortion also provides coarse motion.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
The memory device of claim 15 wherein said plate-like diaphragm or cantilever structure acts as one electrode of a plate capacitor to permit capacitive measurement of said distortion.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
139 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein each said read/write tip comprises fine microactuation means consisting of at least one microactuator stack consisting of an electrically deformable tip support pad having top and bottom surfaces, said pad comprising at least one layer of electrostrictive or piezoelectric material, electrodes on said top and bottom surfaces, a dielectric layer on said electrode on said top surface, and said tip disposed on said dielectric layer, with an interconnection from said tip to said electrical addressing means, and wherein said read/write tip gap fine microactuation means are disposed on independently distortable supports of plate-like diaphragm or cantilever structures, said structures achieving buckling or flexural bending distortion toward or away from the opposed bit-arrays via external inducement of compressive or tensile stresses in said plate-like diaphragm or cantilever, thereby also affording coarse gap adjustment.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The memory device of claim 21 wherein said coarse presetting is permanently locked in by solidified low melting point material.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
The memory device of claim 22 wherein said low melting point material is selected from the group consisting of reflowable glasses, solders, and thermally flowable materials.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The memory device of claim 21 wherein said buckling or bending distortion means is locked in place at least during use.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
58 words
The memory device of claim 24 wherein said locking is achieved by electrical clamping of electrically driven piezoelectric, electrostrictive, or thermal inducement means and wherein said buckling or bending distortion locking may be released for movement to a large gap OFF state and wherein the locked position is monitored with the aid of the capacitor of claim 20.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
34 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein a bit media layer, capable of having bits written therein or erased therefrom, is provided on said surface of each said movable member opposite said read/write tips.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
The memory device of claim 26 comprising write-only tips, wherein said bit media layer is capable of having bits written therein only.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
The memory device of claim 26 wherein said bit media layer comprises a material deformable by the influence of an adjacent tip, said deformations providing topographical bit contrast.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
24 words
The memory device of claim 28 wherein said material is deformed by the influence of the passing tip current and the heat it generates.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
17 words
The memory device of claim 28 wherein said material is deformed by mechanical contact with said tip.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
50 words
The memory device of claim 26 wherein said bit media layer comprises an electrically polarizable or electrically chargeable material and wherein said tips cause said polarization or charging, said polarization or charging providing electronic or topographical bit contrast by the presence or absence of charged, uncharged, polarized, or unpolarized regions.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
35 words
The memory device of claim 26 wherein said bit media layer comprises a material whose crystalline structure can be reversibly switched via tip-induced heating and electric fields, said switched regions providing electronic or topographic contrast.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
91 words
The memory device of claim 26 wherein said bit media layer comprises a substrate film selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, graphite, silicon dioxide, noble metals and alloys thereof, and polymeric electret materials, and wherein an atmosphere of adsorbable or absorbable and desorbable gas or vapor is provided around said bit-arrays which is capable of being selectively adsorbed or absorbed and desorbed by said substrate film under the electrical, thermal, or mechanical influence of said mating tip, said adsorbent, absorbent, or lack thereof providing electrical or topographical bit contrast.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
69 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein said controlled distortion means provides continuous multicycle vibrating motion of at least one movable member, said at least one movable surface of said distorting member moving at or near the fundamental resonant frequency of said distortable member or a harmonic thereof, thereby providing linear or areal relative scanning motion of constant maximum amplitude between at least one tip and one data-bit array.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
25 words
The memory device of claim 34 wherein said driving distortion means is periodically driven when the scanningmotion free-vibration amplitude decays to a minimum predetermined value.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
54 words
The memory device of claim 1 wherein said controlled distortion means provides single-shaped impulses which serve to drive at least one movable member directly to a physical position relative to its mating tip where at least one data bit in the bit-array can be written to or read to or from a predetermined location.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
16 words
The memory device of claim 36 including means for providing viscous damping of said moving member.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
162 words
Memory apparatus comprising at least one memory device of claim 1 and including electrical control means comprising: (a) multiplexer/demultiplexer and buffer memory means for parallel processing of incoming/outgoing data from or to a plurality of said groups substantially simultaneously; (b) ancillary circuit means for providing voltages and currents needed to sustain operation of said tips as well as for providing output voltages or currents which give information regarding the geometric and temporal relationship of the tip/array pairs; (c) bus means for passing data and instructions amongst various of said electrical control means; (d) switching means for selective application of said ancillary services and data bus means to/from the correct bit-arrays and read/write tips; and (e) microprocessor means for coordinating the operation of said ancillary circuit means, the switching of those functions and incoming/outgoing data to/from desired subdevices, checking of data integrity, synchronization and memory housekeeping functions, and digital signal processing or the direction thereof, along with the negation of undesirable external vibrations.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
97 words
The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said microprocessor means includes at least one of the capabilities of digital signal processing, bit error detection and correction, vibration compensation, memory array housekeeping functions, startup/shutdown sequences, redundancy management, including formatting, erasing, and initializing, memory management, positional synchronization of a read/write tip with respect to its bit-array, movable member trajectory calculations for continuous harmonic vibration wherein data is read or written as the appropriate bit locations pass said tip or for single event deflections wherein said movable member is pulsed directly to a region of interest, noise filtering, and bus control.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
220 words
A memory device comprising: (a) at least one member having at least one surface connected to a support means and at least one surface movable by controlled distortion means, said movable surface disposed opposite a stationary plane; (b) a plurality of read/write tips disposed on said stationary plane; (c) a plurality of bit-arrays disposed on said movable ends, thereby providing motion of said tips relative to said bit-arrays, each of said read/write tips and said bit-arrays separated by a gap; (d) housing means for hermetically sealing groups comprising at least one of said members, at least one of said read/write tips, and at least one of said bit-arrays from other such groups and from the external environment; (e) said means of controlled structural distortion of said at least one movable member permitting physical addressing by each said read/write tip of its mating bits in its mating bit-array; (f) means for electrically addressing each read/write tip and its mating bit-array for routing incoming bit-streams to at least one of said bit-arrays or for sensing bit-streams being read from at least one of said bitarrays through at least one of said read/write tips; and (g) means for coarse presetting, fine-controlling, and monitoring said gap between said mating tips and bit-arrays via movement of said tip toward or away from its mating bit-array.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
220 words
A memory device comprising: (a) at least one member having at least one surface connected to a support means and at least one surface movable by controlled distortion means, said movable surface disposed opposite a stationary plane; (b) a plurality of read/write tips disposed on said stationary plane; (c) a plurality of bit-arrays disposed on said movable ends, thereby providing motion of said tips relative to said bit-arrays, each of said read/write tips and said bit-arrays separated by a gap; (d) housing means for hermetically sealing groups comprising at least one of said members, at least one of said read/write tips, and at least one of said bit-arrays from other such groups and from the external environment; (e) said means of controlled structural distortion of said at least one movable member permitting physical addressing by each said read/write tip of its mating bits in its mating bit-array; (f) means for electrically addressing each read/write tip and its mating bit-array for routing incoming bit-streams to at least one of said bit-arrays or for sensing bit-streams being read from at least one of said bitarrays through at least one of said read/write tips; and (g) means for coarse presetting, fine-controlling, and monitoring said gap between said mating tips and bit-arrays via movement of said tip toward or away from its mating bit-array.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
34 words
The memory device of claim 40 wherein said controlled structural distortion means comprises an electrically deformable piezoelectric, ferroelectric, or electrostrictive material, mechanically coupled either directly or indirectly to said at least one movable surface.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
86 words
The memory device of claim 41 wherein said electrically deformable material is selected from the group consisting of α-quartz, lithium sulfate monohydrate, lead zirconate titanate, lead titanate, lead meta-niobate, polyvinylidene fluoride, copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, barium titanate, cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide, cadmium selenide, aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, silica, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, para-tellurite, bismuth germanium oxide, gallium arsenide, doped silicon, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ferroelectric materials having a gadolinium-molybdate β' structure, and materials having the formula ABO 3 , where A and B are cations.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
35 words
The memory device of claim 40 comprising a plurality of movable members comprising flexurally distortable cantilevers attached to said support means on one end, the free end supporting said bit-array and facing its mating tip.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
100 words
The memory device of claim 40 wherein said at least one movable member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glasses, ceramics, oxides, semiconductors, layered transition metal dichalcogenides, graphite, silicon, α-quartz, lithium sulfate monohydrate, lead zirconate titanate, lead titanate, lead meta-niobate, polyvinylidene fluoride, copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, barium titanate, cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide, cadmium selenide, aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, silica, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, para-tellurite, bismuth germanium oxide, gallium arsenide, doped silicon, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ferroelectric materials having a gadolinium-molybdate β' structure, and materials having the formula ABO 3 , where A and B are cations.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
76 words
The memory device of claim 40 wherein each said read/write tip is disposed on at least one microactuator stack consisting of an electrically deformable tip support pad having top and bottom surfaces, said pad comprising an electrostrictive or piezoelectric material, electrodes on said top and bottom surfaces, a dielectric layer on said electrode on said top surface, and said tip disposed on said dielectric layer, with an interconnection from said tip to said electrical addressing means.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
22 words
The memory device of claim 45 wherein said electrode on said bottom surface disposed beneath each tip support pad is commonly connected.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
33 words
The memory device of claim 45 wherein said tip comprises an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of tungsten, tungsten-rhenium alloy, platinum, platinum-iridium alloy, doped silicon, refractory metals, and conductive ceramics.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
33 words
The memory device of claim 47 wherein said tip is provided with a conductive coating thereon comprising a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, gold, platinum, iridium, rhodium, tungsten, and rhenium.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
104 words
The memory device of claim 45 wherein said read/write tip gap fine controlling microactuation means comprises independently distortable pads of piezoelectric or electrostrictive material selected from the group consisting of α-quartz, lithium sulfate monohydrate, lead zirconate titanate, lead titanate, lead meta-niobate, polyvinylidene fluoride, copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, barium titanate, cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide, cadmium selenide, aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, silica, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, para-tellurite, bismuth germanium oxide, gallium arsenide, doped silicon, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ferroelectric materials having a gadolinium-molybdate β' structure, and materials having the formula ABO 3 , where A and B are cations, on which said tip is placed.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
102 words
The memory device of claim 45 wherein said coarse gap presetting means comprises independently distortable pads of piezoelectric or electrostrictive material selected from the group consisting of α-quartz, lithium sulfate monohydrate, lead zirconate titanate, lead titanate, lead meta-niobate, polyvinylidene fluoride, copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, barium titanate, cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide, cadmium selenide, aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, silica, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, para-tellurite, bismuth germanium oxide, gallium arsenide, doped silicon, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ferroelectric materials having a gadolinium-molybdate β' structure, and materials having the formula ABO 3 , where A and B are cations, on which said microactuator stack is placed.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
26 words
The memory device of claim 45 comprising dual microactuators for each read/write tip, with one microactuator providing fine motion and a second microactuator providing coarse motion.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
58 words
The memory device of claim 40 wherein said read/-write tip gap fine controlling means comprises independently distortable supports of plate-like diaphragm or cantilever structures on which said tips are placed, said means achieving buckling or bending distortion toward or away from the opposed bit-arrays via external inducement of compressive or tensile stresses in said plate-like diaphragm or cantilever.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
28 words
The memory device of claim 52 wherein said buckling or bending distortion is achieved by the electrical distortion of a piezoelectric or electrostrictive film disposed on said diaphragm.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
45 words
The memory device of claim 52 wherein said buckling or bending distortion is achieved by means capable of creating thermal gradients and thus differential expansion distortion stresses in said diaphragm or by means of uniform heating of said diaphragm relative to its surrounding support structure.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
29 words
The memory device of claim 52 wherein said buckling or bending distortion is achieved by Coulomb attractive or repulsive forces created between said diaphragm and an adjacent support structure.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
16 words
The memory device of claim 52 wherein said buckling or bending distortion also provides coarse motion.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
29 words
The memory device of claim 52 wherein said plate-like diaphragm or cantilever acts as one electrode of a plate capacitor to permit capacitive measurement of said distortion or deflection.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
139 words
The memory device of claim 40 wherein each said read/write tip comprises fine microactuation means consisting of at least one microactuator stack consisting of an electrically deformable tip support pad having top and bottom surfaces, said pad comprising at least one layer of electrostrictive or piezoelectric material, electrodes on said top and bottom surfaces, a dielectric layer on said electrode on said top surface, and said tip disposed on said dielectric layer, with an interconnection from said tip to said electrical addressing means, and wherein said read/write tip gap fine microactuation means are disposed on independently distortable supports of plate-like diaphragm or cantilever structures, said structures achieving buckling or flexural bending distortion toward or away from the opposed bit-arrays via external inducement of compressive or tensile stresses in said plate-like diaphragm or cantilever, thereby also affording coarse gap adjustment.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
20 words
The memory device of claim 58 wherein said coarse presetting is permanently locked in by solidified low melting point material.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
26 words
The memory device of claim 59 wherein said low melting point material is selected from the group consisting of reflowable glasses, solders, and thermally flowable materials.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
21 words
The memory device of claim 58 wherein said buckling or bending distortion means is locked in place at least during use.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
58 words
The memory device of claim 61 wherein said locking is achieved by electrical clamping of electrically driven piezoelectric, electrostrictive, or thermal inducement means and wherein said buckling or bending distortion locking may be released for movement to a large gap OFF state and wherein the locked position is monitored with the aid of the capacitor of claim 57.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
34 words
The memory device of claim 40 wherein a bit media layer, capable of having bits written therein or erased therefrom, is provided on said surface of each said movable member opposite said read/write tips.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
22 words
The memory device of claim 63 comprising write-only tips, wherein said bit media layer is capable of having bits written therein only.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
28 words
The memory device of claim 63 wherein said bit media layer comprises a material deformable by the influence of an adjacent tip, said deformations providing topographical bit contrast.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
24 words
The memory device of claim 65 wherein said material is deformed by the influence of the passing tip current and the heat it generates.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
17 words
The memory device of claim 65 wherein said material is deformed by mechanical contact with said tip.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
50 words
The memory device of claim 63 wherein said bit media layer comprises an electrically polarizable or electrically chargeable material and wherein said tips cause said polarization or charging, said polarization or charging providing electronic or topographical bit contrast by the presence or absence of charged, uncharged, polarized, or unpolarized regions.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
35 words
The memory device of claim 63 wherein said bit media layer comprises a material whose crystalline structure can be reversibly switched via tip-induced heating and electric fields, said switched regions providing electronic or topographic contrast.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
91 words
The memory device of claim 63 wherein said bit media layer comprises a substrate film selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, graphite, silicon dioxide, noble metals and alloys thereof, and polymeric electret materials, and wherein an atmosphere of adsorbable or absorbable and desorbable gas or vapor is provided around said bit-arrays which is capable of being selectively adsorbed or absorbed and desorbed by said substrate film under the electrical, thermal, or mechanical influence of said mating tip, said adsorbent, absorbent, or lack thereof providing electrical or topographical bit contrast.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
69 words
The memory device of claim 40 wherein said controlled distortion means provides continuous multicycle vibrating motion of at least one movable member, said at least one movable surface of said distorting member moving at or near the fundamental resonant frequency of said distortion member or a harmonic thereof, thereby providing linear or areal relative scanning motion of constant maximum amplitude between at least one tip and one data-bit array.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
25 words
The memory device of claim 71 wherein said driving distortion means is periodically driven when the scanningmotion free-vibration amplitude decays to a minimum predetermined value.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
54 words
The memory device of claim 40 wherein said controlled distortion means provides single-shaped impulses which serve to drive at least one movable member directly to a physical position relative to its mating tip where at least one data bit in the bit-array can be written to or read to or from a predetermined location.
Claim 76
Dependent Claim
16 words
The memory device of claim 73 including means for providing viscous damping of said moving member.
Claim 77
Dependent Claim
162 words
Memory apparatus comprising at least one memory device of claim 40 and including electrical control means comprising: (a) multiplexer/demultiplexer and buffer memory means for parallel processing of incoming/outgoing data from or to a plurality of said groups substantially simultaneously; (b) ancillary circuit means for providing voltages and currents needed to sustain operation of said tips as well as for providing output voltages or currents which give information regarding the geometric and temporal relationship of the tip/array pairs; (c) bus means for passing data and instructions amongst various of said electrical control means; (d) switching means for selective application of said ancillary services and data bus means to/from the correct bit-arrays and read/write tips; and (e) microprocessor means for coordinating the operation of said ancillary circuit means, the switching of those functions and incoming/outgoing data to/from desired subdevices, checking of data integrity, synchronization and memory housekeeping functions, and digital signal processing or the direction thereof, along with the negation of undesirable external vibrations.
Claim 78
Dependent Claim
93 words
The apparatus of claim 75 wherein said microprocessor means includes the capability of digital signal processing, bit error detection and correction, vibration compensation, memory array housekeeping functions, startup/-shutdown sequences, redundancy management, including formatting, erasing, and initializing, memory management, positional synchronization of a read/write tip with respect to its bit-array, movable member trajectory calculations for continuous harmonic vibration wherein data is read or written as the appropriate bit locations pass said tip or for single event deflections wherein said movable member is pulsed directly to a region of interest, noise filtering, and bus control.
Claim 79
Dependent Claim
249 words
A memory device comprising: (a) a plurality of single crystal silicon movable members comprising flexurally distortable cantilevers attached to a support means on one end, the free end movable by controlled distortion means, said movable end disposed opposite a stationary plane; (b) a plurality of read/write tips disposed on said stationary plane; (c) a bit media layer provided on said movable surface of each said movable member capable of having bits written therein or erased therefrom to support a plurality of bit-arrays disposed on said movable ends, thereby providing motion of said tips relative to said bit-arrays, each of said read/write tips and said bit-arrays separated by a gap; (d) housing means for hermetically sealing groups comprising at least one of said members, at least one of said read/write tips, and at least one of said bit-arrays from other such groups and from the external environment; (e) said means of controlled structural distortion of said at least one movable member permitting physical addressing by each said read/write tip of its mating bits in its mating bit-array; (f) means for electrically addressing each read/-write tip and its mating bit-array for routing incoming bit-streams to at least one of said bit-arrays or for sensing bit-streams being read from at least one of said bit-arrays through at least one of said read/write tips; and (g) means for coarse presetting, fine-controlling, and monitoring said gap between said mating tips and bit-arrays via movement of said tip toward or away from its mating bit-array.
Claim 80
Dependent Claim
249 words
A memory device comprising: (a) a plurality of single crystal silicon movable members comprising flexurally distortable cantilevers attached to a support means on one end, the free end movable by controlled distortion means, said movable end disposed opposite a stationary plane; (b) a plurality of read/write tips disposed on said stationary plane; (c) a bit media layer provided on said movable surface of each said movable member capable of having bits written therein or erased therefrom to support a plurality of bit-arrays disposed on said movable ends, thereby providing motion of said tips relative to said bit-arrays, each of said read/write tips and said bit-arrays separated by a gap; (d) housing means for hermetically sealing groups comprising at least one of said members, at least one of said read/write tips, and at least one of said bit-arrays from other such groups and from the external environment; (e) said means of controlled structural distortion of said at least one movable member permitting physical addressing by each said read/write tip of its mating bits in its mating bit-array; (f) means for electrically addressing each read/-write tip and its mating bit-array for routing incoming bit-streams to at least one of said bit-arrays or for sensing bit-streams being read from at least one of said bit-arrays through at least one of said read/write tips; and (g) means for coarse presetting, fine-controlling, and monitoring said gap between said mating tips and bit-arrays via movement of said tip toward or away from its mating bit-array.
Claim 81
Dependent Claim
76 words
The memory device of claim 77 wherein each said read/write tip is disposed on at least one microactuator stack consisting of an electrically deformable tip support pad having top and bottom surfaces, said pad comprising an electrostrictive or piezoelectric material, electrodes on said top and bottom surfaces, a dielectric layer on said electrode on said top surface, and said tip disposed on said dielectric layer, with an interconnection from said tip to said electrical addressing means.
Claim 82
Dependent Claim
22 words
The memory device of claim 78 wherein said electrode on said bottom surface disposed beneath each tip support pad is commonly connected.
Claim 83
Dependent Claim
24 words
The memory device of claim 78 wherein said tip comprises an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of tungsten and doped silicon.
Claim 84
Dependent Claim
33 words
The memory device of claim 80 wherein said tip is provided with a conductive coating thereon comprising a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, gold, platinum, iridium, rhodium, tungsten, and rhenium.
Claim 85
Dependent Claim
52 words
The memory device of claim 77 wherein said read/-write tip gap fine controlling means comprises independently distortable supports of plate-like diaphragm structures on which said tips are placed, said means achieving buckling distortion toward or away from the opposed bit-arrays via external inducement of compressive or tensile stresses in said plate-like diaphragm.
Claim 86
Dependent Claim
26 words
The memory device of claim 82 wherein said buckling distortion is achieved by the electrical distortion of a piezoelectric or electrostrictive film disposed on said diaphragm.
Claim 87
Dependent Claim
43 words
The memory device of claim 82 wherein said buckling distortion is achieved by means capable of creating thermal gradients and thus differential expansion distortion stresses in said diaphragm or by means of uniform heating of said diaphragm relative to its surrounding support structure.
Claim 88
Dependent Claim
27 words
The memory device of claim 82 wherein said buckling distortion is achieved by Coulomb attractive or repulsive forces created between said diaphragm and an adjacent support structure.
Claim 89
Dependent Claim
14 words
The memory device of claim 82 wherein said buckling distortion also provides coarse motion.
Claim 90
Dependent Claim
27 words
The memory device of claim 82 wherein said platelike diaphragm acts as one electrode of a plate capacitor to permit capacitive measurement of said distortion or deflection.
Claim 91
Dependent Claim
132 words
The memory device of claim 77 wherein each said read/write tip comprises fine microactuation means consisting of at least one microactuator stack consisting of an electrically deformable tip support pad having top and bottom surfaces, said pad comprising at least one layer of electrostrictive or piezoelectric material, electrodes on said top and bottom surfaces, a dielectric layer on said electrode on said top surface, and said tip disposed on said dielectric layer, with an interconnection from said tip to said electrical addressing means, and wherein said read/write tip gap fine microactuation means are disposed on independently distortable supports of plate-like diaphragm structures, said structures achieving buckling distortion toward or away from the opposed bit-arrays via external inducement of compressive or tensile stresses in said plate-like diaphragm, thereby also affording coarse gap adjustment.
Claim 92
Dependent Claim
28 words
The memory device of claim 77 wherein said bit media layer comprises a material deformable by the influence of an adjacent tip, said deformations providing topographical bit contrast.
Claim 93
Dependent Claim
24 words
The memory device of claim 89 wherein said material is deformed by the influence of the passing tip current and the heat it generates.
Claim 94
Dependent Claim
17 words
The memory device of claim 89 wherein said material is deformed by mechanical contact with said tip.
Claim 95
Dependent Claim
50 words
The memory device of claim 77 wherein said bit media layer comprises an electrically polarizable or electrically chargeable material and wherein said tips cause said polarization or charging, said polarization or charging providing electronic or topographical bit contrast by the presence or absence of charged, uncharged, polarized, or unpolarized regions.
Claim 96
Dependent Claim
35 words
The memory device of claim 77 wherein said bit media layer comprises a material whose crystalline structure can be reversibly switched via tip-induced heating and electric fields, said switched regions providing electronic or topographic contrast.
Claim 97
Dependent Claim
91 words
The memory device of claim 77 wherein said bit media layer comprises a substrate film selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, graphite, silicon dioxide, noble metals and alloys thereof, and polymeric electret materials, and wherein an atmosphere of adsorbable or absorbable and desorbable gas or vapor is provided around said bit-arrays which is capable of being selectively adsorbed or absorbed and desorbed by said substrate film under the electrical, thermal, or mechanical influence of said mating tip, said adsorbent, absorbent, or lack thereof providing electrical or topographical bit contrast.
Claim 98
Dependent Claim
69 words
The memory device of claim 77 wherein said controlled distortion means provides continuous multicycle vibrating motion of at least one movable member, said at least one movable surface of said distorting member moving at or near the fundamental resonant frequency of said distortion member or a harmonic thereof, thereby providing linear or areal relative scanning motion of constant maximum amplitude between at least one tip and one data-bit aray.
Claim 99
Dependent Claim
25 words
The memory device of claim 95 wherein said driving distortion means is periodically driven when the scanningmotion free-vibration amplitude decays to a minimum predetermined value.
Claim 100
Dependent Claim
54 words
The memory device of claim 77 wherein said controlled distortion means provides single-shaped impulses which serve to drive at least one movable member directly to a physical position relative to its mating tip where at least one data bit in the bit-array can be written to or read to or from a predetermined location.
Claim 101
Dependent Claim
16 words
The memory device of claim 97 including means for providing viscous damping of said moving member.
Claim 102
Dependent Claim
162 words
Memory apparatus comprising at least one memory device of claim 77 and including electrical control means comprising: (a) multiplexer/demultiplexer and buffer memory means for parallel processing of incoming/outgoing data from or to a plurality of said groups substantially simultaneously, (b) ancillary circuit means for providing voltages and currents needed to sustain operation of said tips as well as for providing output voltages or currents which give information regarding the geometric and temporal relationship of the tip/array pairs, (c) bus means for passing data and instructions amongst various of said electrical control means, (d) switching means for selective application of said ancillary services and data bus means to/from the correct bit-arrays and read/write tips, and (e) microprocessor means for coordinating the operation of said ancillary circuit means, the switching of those functions and incoming/outgoing data to/from desired subdevices, checking of data integrity, synchronization and memory housekeeping functions, and digital signal processing or the direction thereof, along with the negation of undesirable external vibrations.
Claim 103
Dependent Claim
93 words
The apparatus of claim 99 wherein said microprocessor means includes the capability of digital signal processing, bit error detection and correction, vibration compensation, memory array housekeeping functions, startup/shutdown sequences, redundancy management, including formatting, erasing, and initializing, memory management, positional synchronization of a read/write tip with respect to its bit-array, movable member trajectory calculations for continuous harmonic vibration wherein data is read or written as the appropriate bit locations pass said tip or for single event deflections wherein said movable member is pulsed directly to a region of interest, noise filtering, and bus control.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3921154A
Cited
US4159539A
Cited
US4101965A
Cited
US4829507A
Cited
US4831614A
Cited
US4945515A
Cited
US5036490A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-05-31 | 1996-11-30 | 1997-06-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-05-31 | 2000-11-30 | 2001-06-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-05-31 | 2004-11-30 | 2005-06-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |