NIRT: Nanomanufacturing Strategy and System Design for Nanoscale Patterned Magnetic Recording Medium

这项研究的目标是：1)开发用于下一代信息存储系统的图案化磁记录介质设计指南；2)使用组合材料合成开发高度交换耦合的图案化介质材料；3)使用多原子束光刻和步进闪光压印光刻的组合开发纳米尺度的制造策略；4)展示25 nm/位或1太比特/英寸2规模的功能性图案化介质的原型；以及5)使用基于自组装纳米模板光刻的新颖图案化方法将该技术扩展到3-4 nm/位的超顺磁性极限。原型记录系统--准静态记录测试仪和自旋台测试仪--将用于评估图案化介质的功能(例如，读/写效率、信噪比、误码率)。将使用微磁建模来分析结果并优化设计。该方法结合了几种不同的技术来探索对图案化介质的记录物理、纳米级自组装以及抗蚀剂和光刻的限制的基础研究。拟议的技术将使价值数十亿美元的信息存储行业在未来7-15年内继续保持创纪录的增长速度。它还应该导致存储设备的戏剧性小型化，成为丰富的新移动计算应用的催化剂。纳米制造工具集应该会为磁性随机存取存储器和磁性量子细胞自动机提供立竿见影的好处，从而具有改变集成电路行业的潜力。该工具箱还可以应用于分子和纳米电子集成系统。

The objectives of this research are: 1) to develop patterned magnetic recording media design guidelines for "next generation" information storage systems; 2) to develop highly exchange-coupled patterned media materials using combinatorial materials synthesis; 3) to develop manufacturing strategies at the nanometer scale using a combination of Multi-Atom Beam Lithography and Step-and-Flash Imprint Lithography; 4) to demonstrate a prototype of a functional patterned medium at the scale of 25 nm/bit or 1 Terabit/in2; and 5) to extend the technology to the superparamagnetic limit at 3-4 nm/bit using a novel patterning approach based on self-assembled nanomask lithography. Prototype recording systems - a quasi-static recording tester and a spin-stand tester - will be used to evaluate the functionality (e.g., write/read efficiency, signal-to-noise ratio, bit error rates) of the patterned media. Micromagnetic modeling will be used to analyze the results and to optimize the design. The approach combines several diverse techniques to explore fundamental research into the recording physics of patterned media, nanoscale self-assembly, and the limits of resists and lithography. The proposed technology should enable the multi-billion dollar information storage industry to continue its record-setting growth rate for the next 7-15 years. It should also lead to dramatic storage device miniaturization, acting as a catalyst for a wealth of new mobile computing applications. The nanofabrication toolset should offer an immediate benefit to magnetic random access memory and magnetic quantum cellular automata, and thus has the potential to transform the integrated circuit industry. The toolset can be applied to molecular and nanoelectronic integrated systems as well.