Millipede uses AFM in its drive heads to read and write to a polymer surface by creating and removing indentations that are only 10 nm in size. Also known as probe-based storage, "Millipede is able to re-use the same area thousands of times", says Karin Vey, the communications manager at IBM's Zurich Research Laboratories.

AFM technology works by using thermo-mechanical writing to the platter's surface by applying a local force through the cantilever/tip to the polymer layer and simultaneously softening the polymer layer by local heating. Once softening has been initiated, the tip is pressed into the polymer, and an indentation is created corresponding to the logical bit "1." The layer without indentation represents the logical bit "0".

To read the written information, the cantilever originally used for writing is given the additional function of a thermal read back sensor by exploiting its temperature-dependent resistance. While Millipede is a research project, IBM claims it is at a "very advanced stage."

Another subatomic storage project IBM is working on is called storage-class memory. IBM is attempting to use this technology to create cheap nonvolatile semiconductor memory for use in devices like cell phones and cameras.

Gian-Luca Bona, IBM's head of science and technology research, said that though storage-class memory is still in the development phase and no products are yet associated with it, "storage-class memory devices could also be used in the creation of microdrives that close the gap between flash drives and hard drives."