Patent ID: 7787350

Claim:
A method for operating a storage device comprising: a storage medium for storing data in the form of marks; at least two probes mounted on a common frame, the common frame and the storage medium designed for moving relative to each other for creating or detecting the marks, with each probe comprising: a tip facing the storage medium; a read sensing element; a write element; and a capacitive platform, the capacitive platform forming a first electrode designed for a voltage potential applied thereto independent from a control signal for the read sensing element and for the voltage potential applied thereto independent from a control signal for the write element; and a second electrode arranged in a fixed position relative to the storage medium, thereby forming a first capacitor together with the first electrode and a medium between the first and second electrodes; the method comprising varying a voltage potential applied to the capacitive platform, dependent on a desired distance between the tip and the storage medium or on a desired force exerted by the tip on the storage medium and grounding the second electrode, wherein: during a read mode, the capacitive platforms only of active probes are provided with a given voltage pulse of a given duration; during a write mode, the capacitive platforms only of active probes are provided with a given further voltage pulse of a given duration; the at least two probes allocated into various probe subsets, and controlling probes of each subset with the same control parameters in respect of their respective capacitive platforms; and wherein each capacitive platform is electrically insulated from the read sensing element and the write element, with the read sensing element comprising a read capacitive platform forming a third electrode, thereby forming a second capacitor together with the second electrode and a medium between the second and third electrodes.