Abstract: Charged beam accessible data storage methods and devices involve a storage medium having an array of protrusions formed on a thermally insulative, substantially charged beam transparent base. The protrusions, made of high contrast material, can be selectively melted by a charged beam, such as an electron beam, in order to decrease the protrusions' aspect ratio and to increase their energy absorptive action when scanned by a charged beam. Since the melted protrusions do not wet on the base, the protrusions quickly assume a spherical bead shape when melted due to favorable surface tension forces. The bi-level charged beam absorption characteristics of the melted and unmelted protrusions provide the two "on" or "off" stored data states.