Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of forming polymer structures comprising applying a solution of a diblock copolymer assembly comprising at least one diblock copolymer that forms lamellae, to a neutral surface of a substrate having a chemical pattern thereon, the chemical pattern comprising alternating pinning and neutral regions that are chemically distinct and which have a chemical pattern spatial frequency given by the number of paired sets of pinning and neutral regions along a given direction on the substrate; and forming domains comprising blocks of the diblock copolymer. The domains form by lateral segregation of the blocks. At least one domain has an affinity for the pinning regions and forms on the pinning region, the domains so formed on the pinning region are aligned with the underlying chemical pattern, and domains that do not form on the pinning region form adjacent to and are aligned with the domains formed on the pinning regions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of controlling the orientation of microphase-separated domains in a block copolymer film, comprising forming an orientation control layer comprising an epoxy-containing cycloaliphatic acrylic polymer on a surface of a substrate, irradiating and/or heating the substrate to crosslink the orientation control layer, and forming a block copolymer assembly layer comprising block copolymers which form microphase-separated domains, on a surface of the orientation control layer opposite the substrate. The orientation control layer can be selectively cross-linked to expose regions of the substrate, or the orientation control layer can be patterned without removing the layer, to provide selective patterning on the orientation control layer. In further embodiments, bilayer and trilayer imaging schemes are disclosed.

Abstract: A method (and resultant structure) of forming a plurality of masks, includes creating a reference template, using imprint lithography to print at least one reference template alignment mark on all of a plurality of mask blanks for a given chip set, and printing sub-patterns on each of the plurality of mask blanks, and aligning the sub-patterns to the at least one reference template alignment mark.

Abstract: A device includes an optical gain medium through which optical radiation is amplified. The device includes first and second reflectors disposed around the gain medium. One of the reflectors includes an emission region though which optical output is emitted and a metallic structure that has an array of features that couple the radiation to at least one surface plasmon mode of the structure, thereby enhancing the device's output. The device may be a laser, e.g., a diode laser. The emission region may have a width of, for example, between 10 and 100 nanometers, and this emission region may be in the shape of a rectangular slit. The optical radiation in the gain medium may be advantageously polarized perpendicularly to an axis along which a longer dimension of the emission region is oriented. The device is useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.

Abstract: A method for fabrication and a structure of a self-aligned (crosspoint) memory device comprises lines (wires) in a first direction and in a second direction. The wires in the first direction are formed using a hard mask material that is resistant to the pre-selected etch processes used for creation of the lines in both the first and the second direction. Consequently, the hard mask material for the lines in the first direction form part of the memory stack.

Abstract: A method and structure for a memory cell comprising a phase change material; a heating element in thermal contact with the phase change material, wherein the heating element is adapted to induce a phase change in the phase change material; and electrical lines configured to pass current through the heating element, wherein the phase change material and the heating element are arranged in a configuration other than being electrically connected in series. The memory cell further comprises a sensing element in thermal contact with the phase change material, wherein the sensing element is adapted to detect a change in at least one physical property of the phase change material, wherein the sensing element is adapted to detect a change in a thermal conductivity of the phase change material.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation from an optical source is directed onto a metallic structure. The metallic structure in turn emits optical output from an emission region in the structure and onto a recording medium (e.g., a magnetic recording disk), thereby heating the medium. The output from the emission region is enhanced due to surface plasmons in the metallic structure. The surface plasmons are generated by an array of features (such as ridges or trenches) in the metallic structure and act to increase the emitted optical output from the emission region beyond what the emitted optical output from the emission region would be in the absence of these features. The apparatus and associated method are useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation from an optical source is directed onto an optical aperture in a metallic structure. The metallic structure in turn emits optical output from an emission region in the structure and onto a recording medium (e.g., a magnetic recording disk), thereby heating the medium. The optical output is enhanced when the electromagnetic radiation from the optical source includes a frequency that matches a waveguide mode resonance in the metallic structure. Features (such as ridges or trenches) in the metallic structure may be used to further increase the emitted optical output beyond what the emitted optical output would be in the absence of these features. The apparatus and associated method are useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive with patterned disk media, wherein discrete magnetic data blocks representative of the individual data bits are isolated from one another, uses the discrete data blocks as the source of the clocking signal to the write head. The carrier for the read/write head includes a special pattern sensor that senses the data blocks in the data tracks before they pass beneath the write head. The pattern sensor output serves as the clocking signal to precisely control the placement of the write pulses by the write head. A time delay is calculated using a timing mark on the patterned disk to delay the write pulses so that a data block sensed by the pattern sensor is the same data block to which the write pulse is applied. In this manner the actual previously recorded data provides the synchronization or clocking signal to control the writing of the new data.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation from an optical source is directed onto an optical aperture in a metallic structure. The metallic structure in turn emits optical output from an emission region in the structure and onto a recording medium (e.g., a magnetic recording disk), thereby heating the medium. The optical output is enhanced when the electromagnetic radiation from the optical source includes a frequency that matches a waveguide mode resonance in the metallic structure. Features (such as ridges or trenches) in the metallic structure may be used to further increase the emitted optical output beyond what the emitted optical output would be in the absence of these features. The apparatus and associated method are useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation from an optical source is directed onto a metallic structure. The metallic structure in turn emits optical output from an emission region in the structure and onto a recording medium (e.g., a magnetic recording disk), thereby heating the medium. The output from the emission region is enhanced due to surface plasmons in the metallic structure. The surface plasmons are generated by an array of features (such as ridges or trenches) in the metallic structure and act to increase the emitted optical output from the emission region beyond what the emitted optical output from the emission region would be in the absence of these features. The apparatus and associated method are useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive with patterned disk media, wherein discrete magnetic data blocks representative of the individual data bits are isolated from one another, uses the discrete data blocks as the source of the clocking signal to the write head. The carrier for the read/write head includes a special pattern sensor that senses the data blocks in the data tracks before they pass beneath the write head. The pattern sensor output serves as the clocking signal to precisely control the placement of the write pulses by the write head. A time delay is calculated using a timing mark on the patterned disk to delay the write pulses so that a data block sensed by the pattern sensor is the same data block to which the write pulse is applied. In this manner the actual previously recorded data provides the synchronization or clocking signal to control the writing of the new data.

Abstract: An avalanche-type detector circuit includes an avalanche-type photon detector device, a coupling capacitor, a bias network, a first transmission line and a second transmission line. The coupling capacitor has a first terminal that is coupled to a first terminal of the avalanche-type photon detector device. A first terminal of the bias network is coupled to the first terminal of the avalanche-type photon detector device, while a second terminal of the bias network is coupled to a bias voltage so that the avalanche-type photon detector device is reverse biased. A first end of the first transmission line is coupled to a second terminal of the coupling capacitor, and second end of the first transmission line is terminated by an open-circuit termination. A first end of the second transmission line is coupled to a second terminal of the avalanche-type photon detector device. The second end of the second transmission line is terminated by a short-circuit termination.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring material outgassed from an object. The apparatus has a chamber containing the object, a condensed material detector (e.g. a quartz microbalance), a heater for heating the object and chamber, and a cooler for cooling the detector. The chamber is sealed from the ambient atmosphere and the detector is located within the chamber. The chamber may contain a vacuum or a gas at ambient atmospheric pressure. Material outgassed from the object is distributed throughout the chamber by vapor transport and is incident upon the detector, where it condenses. Since the detector is the only cooled surface in contact with the vapors, it collects nearly all the outgassed material. This provides high sensitivity to outgassing. The chamber may also include a mechanical stirring device for aiding vapor transport, or may be oriented so that a thermal convection current is established.