Scanning‐Tunneling‐Microscopy Based Thermochemical Hole Burning on a New Charge‐Transfer Complex and Its Potential for Data Storage

Ultrahigh-density data storage is realized using a thermochemical hole-burning technique based on scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The heating effect induced by the STM current gives rise to localized thermochemical decomposition of an organic charge-transfer complex substrate and subsequent gasification of its low- boiling-point decomposition products. A large array of nanometer-sized holes is recorded on the substrate (see Figure).