US Patent 7272511 - DNA memory with carbon nanotube addressing

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7272511.html

This patent from STMicroelectronics proposes a molecular memory using hybridization of DNA based using carbon nanotube addressing. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for manufacturing a molecular memory device, comprising: forming an array of first nanoelectrodes on a substrate of insulating material; forming on said substrate a plurality of carbon nanotubes; functionalizing said nanotubes so that they are suitable for making contacts with DNA strands; contacting said first nanoelectrodes to first ends of the DNA strands; contacting said nanotubes to second ends of the DNA strands; hybridizing or not hybridizing said DNA strands to store desired data in the DNA strands.

US Patent 7247897 - Integrated CNT/phase change memory

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7247897.html

Certain phase change materials capable of changing between amorphous and crystalline states based on electrical or thermal stimulation are currently being explored for applications in memory devices. This patent from Samsung teaches using a carbon nanotube as a connection wire to phase change film to increase the density of such memory devices. Claim 1 reads:

1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a substrate; a first electrode formed on the substrate; a porous active layer formed on a surface of the electrode; an insulating layer, which is formed on the porous active layer, having a contact hole therethrough to expose a portion of the porous active layer; a carbon nanotube, which is grown on the porous active layer in the contact hole and forms a conductive line as a pathway for electron migration; and a memory thin film on the insulating layer and electrically connected to the carbon nanotube, wherein the memory thin film is made of a phase-change material.

US Patent 7233517 - Coated atomic force probe for data storage

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7233517.html

A variety of companies are working on implementing high density memories approaching Terabit/in^2 using scanning probe technologies that were originally designed as microscopes for the atomic and molecular scale in the 1980's. This patent is from a company called Nanochip and provides some fairly broad claims drawn to the use of a coated atomic tip for such data storage. For example claim 2 reads:

2. An atomic probe for high density data storage reading, writing, erasing, or rewriting, comprising: a core coupled with a coating; and wherein the coating contacts a media device.

Unfortunately, the Examiner may have overlooked references such as

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6198300.html

which teaches metal coated AFMs.

US Patent 7208204 - Nanocluster magnetic recording media

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7208204.html

This patent from Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology, and Research focuses on the fabrication of magnetic recording media with smaller grain size via the use of nanoclusters and with improved grain distribution width control. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for forming a thin film magnetic recording media, the method comprising: generating magnetic nanoclusters in gas phase; heating the magnetic nanoclusters; crystallizing the magnetic nanoclusters; and depositing the magnetic nanoclusters onto a substrate to form a thin film of magnetic particles thereon; wherein the generating, heating, crystallizing, and depositing steps are performed sequentially.

US Patent 7190049 - Vertical nanowire array in polymer matrix

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7190049.pdf

Co-polymer self-assembly is frequently being used to create templates to form large arrays of nanostructures on a substrate. This patent from the University of Massachusetts uses co-polymer self assembly to produce ultrahigh density nanowire arrays with high magnetic coercivity for magnetic storage applications. Claim 1 reads:

1. A nanoscale array comprising an electrically-conductive substrate and nanowires arranged in parallel on the substrate, the nanowires each having a diameter of 1.0 to 100 nanometers, and having a periodicity of 1.0 to 100 nanometers; and a polymer matrix between the nanowires, wherein the substrate is a metal substrate.

US Patent 7170842 - Ferrofluid Memory Storage

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7170842.pdf

Scanning probe microscopy continues to receive a great deal of interest in high density memory applications many of which use phase change materials to store data. This patent from Hewlett-Packard uses magnetic particles imbedded in a fluid as a storage media for the scanning probes. Claim 1 reads:

1. A data storage device, comprising: a storage medium; nanometer-scaled data storage areas in the storage medium; an energy-emitting tip positioned in close proximity to the storage medium; a fluid medium positioned between the energy-emitting tip and the storage medium wherein the fluid medium comprises a ferrofluid; and particles contained in the fluid medium.

US Patent 7164646 - Scanning Probe Memory Cell With >2 Storage States

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7164646.pdf

Conventional memory states are digitally stored in magnetic or optical media in terms of binary values (i.e. 0 or 1.) Scanning probe/Atomic force microscopy have added phase change material to the types of media on which digital data can be written, allowing for bit sizes on the nanoscale and greater memory densities. However, these scanning probe memory devices still typically use binary storage. This patent from Hewlett Packard teaches using the scanning probe tip to form multilevel (>2) data storage to further increase memory densities. Claim 1 reads:

1. A storage device comprising: a storage medium having plural storage cells; and a probe to scan across a surface of the storage medium to program the storage cells, wherein the probe is adapted to selectively program each storage cell to one of more than two storage states, the probe to selectively program each storage cell to have a dent having one of plural depths that represent at least two of the storage states, and wherein the probe is operable to contact a surface of the storage medium to read a storage state of at least one storage cell during a read operation.