As the demand for storage capacity continues to increase in the digital age, traditional magnetic hard drives have been facing stiff competition from SSDs. However, Seagate has been pushing the boundaries of hard drive technology by introducing new heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) that promises capacities of up to 240TB per drive in the next decade.
Recently, a research team led by Seagate Technology, NIMS, and Tohoku University has successfully demonstrated multi-level HAMR technology. By utilizing two FePt-C nanogranular films separated by a Ru-C spacer layer with a cubic crystal structure, the team has achieved even higher data density than previously thought possible.
Increased Data Density
The key innovation of multi-level HAMR lies in its ability to address the FePt layers independently by adjusting laser power and magnetic fields during the writing process. This breakthrough has the potential to double the capacity of hard drives and could potentially be extended to three or even four levels of recording, paving the way for 10-platter hard drives with capacities of up to 240TB.
With Seagate’s current desktop drives topping out at 8GB and enterprise class HDDs at 24GB, the introduction of multi-level HAMR technology represents a significant leap in storage capacity. This advancement could greatly benefit gamers and industrial storage applications that require vast amounts of data storage for their operations.
Challenges and Future Outlook
While the potential of multi-level HAMR technology is promising, there are challenges that need to be overcome before it becomes commercially viable. The high cost of materials and the need for new read/write heads will likely delay the widespread adoption of this technology in consumer-grade hard drives. However, with a track record of new tech advancements trickling down from enterprise to desktop drives, it is only a matter of time before multi-level HAMR becomes more accessible to the average consumer.
The future of hard drive technology is evolving rapidly, with advancements like multi-level HAMR pushing the boundaries of data storage capacity. As we look towards the next decade, the prospect of 240TB hard drives opens up a world of possibilities for storing vast amounts of data efficiently and effectively. While the timeline for widespread adoption remains uncertain, the potential for this technology to revolutionize the storage industry is undeniable.
Leave a Reply