Showa Denko Ready for HAMR Media Aimed at 70-80TB HDDs

Showa Denko KK (SDK) has developed the technology of manufacturing media for next-gen HDD drives based on the HAMR technology. ^{* (see HAMR note below)}

Due to the rapid expansion of cloud service, video content, and image-sharing website, the world’s data generation volume is expected to grow by more than 40% a year. Thus, data centers need HDDs with larger storage capacity. While HD media record information through the polarity of magnetic particles, the speed of improving recording density has slowed down under conventional magnetic recording methods. As a result, there is a need for new recording methods, including HAMR, that use small grains of magnetic crystal with thermal stability and writability of information. Also, there is a need for next-gen HD media corresponding to such new recording methods.

To contribute toward commercialization of HAMR-based HDDs, the company has developed a new type of HD media. In this product, the firm uses thin films of Fe-Pt magnetic alloy, which is one of a powerful magnetic materials with high corrosion resistance. Furthermore, it has worked out a new structure of magnetic layers and new ways of controlling temperature during HD media production. As a result, this product has magnetic coercivity several times as high as the existing most-advanced HD media, while achieving low noise due to very small crystal grain size and optimized grain size distribution control. This product embodies the highest levels in the industry in terms of read-write characteristics and durability. The firm will make preparations for full-scale supply of the new HD media.

The Showa Denko Group’s vision is to make itself a ‘Koseiha company’ (a group of Koseiha businesses that can maintain profitability and stability at high levels over a long period). The HD media business is one of such Koseiha businesses. As the largest independent HD media supplier, the company aims to quickly launch quality media based on innovative technologies, including HAMR and MAMR. In accordance with its motto of ‘best in class,’ the firm will continue contributing to the increases in storage capacities of HDDs.

^(*) HAMR represents a recording method in which magnetic film is locally heated at the time of recording. This technology has been developed to solve the ‘magnetic recording trilemma’: difficulty in simultaneously meeting the three requirements of fine-particle structure, resistance to thermal fluctuation, and ease of magnetization. Compared with the recording density of approx. 1.14Tb/in² for HD media based on conventional magnetic recording methods, it is said that HAMR-based HD media will achieve recording density of 5-6Tb/in² in the future. Provided that the same number of disks are used, it is estimated that a 3.5-inch HDD will achieve storage capacity of approx. 70-80TB per unit.

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