APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECORDING AND READING ATOM-SIZE DENSITY INFORMATION

A recording and readout information system having atomic scale densities comprises a recording medium having a carrier (16) and means (20, 30) to form a pattern of atomic paticles (18A) on the surface of the carrier. The atomic particles have an affinity for the carrier and can adhere to the surface to form a relatively adhesive and stable bond. The pattern of atomic particles produced on the carrier are representative of recorded information, e.g. binary represented information, of ultra high density based upon the size and spacing of such particles, which is in the range, for example, of 5 ANGSTROM (.5 nm) to 10 ANGSTROM (1 nm). A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a recording medium with an adsorbent carrier, and means to form a pattern of adsorbate atomic particles on the surface of the adsorbent carrier, the adsorbate atomic particles having an adsorptive affinity for the adsorbent carrier due - at least in part - to electrical attraction characteristics between the adsorbate atomic partiles and the adsorbent carrier. Readout means (30), utilizing the tunnel current effect, is employed to determine the presence or absence of the atomic particles on the surface of the carrier and produce an electrical signal representative of the pattern of recorded information on the recording medium.