Nanoscale Optical Patterning of Amorphous Silicon Carbide for High-Density Data Archiving

Abstract

The work presented here is related to some developments in providing a new generation ultrastable (>100 years), ultrahigh density (>1 Tbit/sq.in.) data storage materials for archival applications. The chosen material to write nanoscale data by finely focused ion beams is hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) films. Wide bandgap a-SiC:H has been chosen for its appropriate optical, chemical and mechanical properties. Ga + was prefered as the implant species for the focused ion beam (FIB) implantation due to its widespread uses in FIB equipment and its modifying effects on the amorphous silicon carbide target. A range of a-SiC:H film samples have been FIB patterned under different implantation conditions for this study. The emphasis in these investigations was the influence of different substrate temperatures on the patterning process. The effects of further annealing of room temperature implanted samples were also studied. The FIB patterned samples under different conditions were analysed using near-field techniques, like atomic force microscopy (AFM), to define optimum implantation parameters for archival data storage applications. Using the established optimal conditions for the FIB patterning process of a-SiC:H films, it is expected to achieve the aimed ultrahigh density and stability with this novel data storage method for archival applications.