Showa Denko (SDK) has developed a hard disk recording medium, which is a key component for manufacturers such as Toshiba to create more than 20TB disk drives using Microwave-Assisted Switching / Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording ( MAS-MAMR).
Usually, the MAS-MAMR, also referred to as the second generation of MAMR technology, reduces the distance between recording tracks on disk platters, which increases the recording surface density and, accordingly, the total storage capacity.
Currently, the 18-terabyte Toshiba MG09 and MN09 hard drives use an intermediate version of MAMR, the so-called Flux Control-MAMR (FC-MAMR). In contrast, MAS-MAMR uses resonant amplification of magnetic oscillations between the disk surface and the Spin-Torque Oscillator (STO) located in the read/write head.
Toshiba says its collaboration with the SDK and TDK has proven that the combination of TDK-developed read / write head equipped with a double injection layer of the spin, and disc media with a new magnetic layer, manufactured by SDK “can significantly increase the storage capacity of hard drives. due to the manifestation of the MAS effect ”.
The SDK will now be able to accelerate the development of MAS-MAMR-enabled disk media, so Toshiba can use TDK heads to design disks with a capacity of 30 TB or more.
The SDK will also work on the development of heated magnetic recording media (HAMR). This technology is expected to be the next step for Toshiba after MAS-MAMR and will help it more confidently compete with Seagate and Western Digital.
Both of these rivals already have 20 terabyte drives in their range, and Seagate has shipped the first generation of HAMR drives. Taking into account the latest announcement, the release of Toshiba’s own 20-terabyte device can be expected in the near future.