Systems and methods for storing and reading data in a data storage system

1. A data storage system comprising:

a storage medium for storing data, wherein the storage medium has a first surface and stores data as a plurality of topographical features as at least one of indentations, bumps or trenches extending in at least one first direction upwardly or downwardly relative to the first surface;

at least one transducer, wherein the at least one transducer writes data on the storage medium;

at least one gate, wherein a first voltage bias is applied to the at least one gate; and

at least one read head, wherein the at least one read head comprises:

at least one supporting structure;

at least one cantilever structure connected to and extending away from the supporting structure, the cantilever structure including a tip adapted to move in the at least one first direction at least one of upwardly or downwardly relative to the first surface into or over the plurality of topographical features when reading data stored on the storage medium; and

at least one Floating Gate Transistor (FGT), wherein the first voltage bias creates an electric field between the at least one FGT and the at least one gate, a change in the electric field is detected by the at least one FGT, the FGT including a source, a drain and a channel,

wherein the tip is displaced from each of the source, the drain, and the channel of the FGT in a direction along the first surface transverse to the at least one first direction.

2. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one FGT is integrated in each cantilever structure.

3. The data storage system of claim 1 , wherein the storage medium is deposited on a substrate.

4. The data storage system of claim 3 , wherein the substrate is the at least one gate.

5. A data storage system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drain and the channel separate the source from the tip.

6. A method for reading data from a storage medium in a data storage system, the method comprising:

applying a first voltage bias to at least one gate in the data storage system, wherein applying the first voltage bias creates an electric field between the at least one gate and at least one Floating Gate Transistor (FGT) having a source, a drain and a channel, the at least one gate is a substrate, wherein the storage medium is deposited on the substrate and has a first surface, wherein the storage medium has a plurality of topographical features including at least one of indentations, bumps or trenches extending in a first direction upwardly or downwardly relative to the first surface; and

scanning the storage medium with a tip of at least one cantilever structure, the tip adapted to move in the first direction at least one of into or over the plurality of topographical features when reading the storage medium, wherein each cantilever structure integrates the at least one FGT, and the tip is displaced from each of the source, the drain, and the channel of the at least one FGT in at least one direction along the first surface transverse to the first direction, the storage medium being scanned by moving the tip of the at least one cantilever structure relative to the storage medium,

wherein the tip co-operates with a plurality of topographical features on the storage medium to read the data stored on the storage medium, and data is stored as the plurality of topographical features.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the electric field between the at least one gate and the at least one FGT varies if the tip moves into or over a topographical feature of the plurality of topographical features on the storage medium.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a variation in the electric field between the at least one gate and the at least one FGT is detected by the at least one FGT, the variation of electric field modifies a flow of current in the at least one FGT, and a second voltage bias is applied to the source and the drain of the at least one FGT to modify the flow of current in the at least one FGT.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a modification in the flow of current in the at least one FGT represents data.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the drain and the channel separate the source from the tip.