TDK Reports Shipped Prototype HDD Heads With MAS-MAMR Next Gen Recording Technology for 30TB HDDs

TDK Corporation shipped prototype heads with next gen recording technology, MAS-MAMR, which is co-developed with Toshiba Corporate R&D Center and Toshiba Electric Devices and Storage corporation.

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK)produced the media for this technology in a 3-way collaboration geared towards advancing HDD capacity in the marketplace.

TDK already introduced the industry’s first Spin Torque element based recording technology into Toshiba’s 18TB HDD, which started production in 2021.

MAS-MAMR would constitute the 2nd gen Spin Torque assisted head for the recording industry, which is aimed for more than 24TB HDD. It utilizes the ferromagnetic coupled resonance effect from twin Spin Torque element layers inside the write head acting on the media recording layer, referred to as the MAS effect. In collaboration with Toshiba and SDK, TDK has demonstrated that the write-ability can be improved. TDK has been studying the optimal twin element structure that can be fitted into the write gap for MAS-MAMR. It is expected that this technology can be extended up to 30TB HDDs.

Glossary

• MAMR: Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording

• MAS-MAMR: Microwave Assisted Switching Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording

• Spin Torque element: Magnetic Layer that responds to spin polarized current

Main applications

• HDD

Main features and benefits

• Improved media write-ability at high recording densities