As the cost of solid-state drives continues to decrease, the demand for traditional magnetic hard drives has diminished. However, for gamers and certain storage-intensive applications, magnetic hard drives still hold value due to their capacity. Seagate has been showcasing new hard drive technology that is expected to push capacities up to 240TB per drive within the next decade. This is made possible through the latest heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology, which offers significantly higher data density compared to traditional perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) tech.
In a recent development, a research team consisting of Seagate Technology, NIMS, and Tohoku University has successfully demonstrated multi-level HAMR technology. This advancement further increases data density by utilizing two FePt-C nanogranular films separated by a Ru-C spacer layer with a cubic crystal structure. Through this innovation, the team has found a way to double the capacity by addressing the FePT layers independently, paving the way for potential three or even four-level recording. The implications of this advancement could lead to the development of 10-platter hard drives with a capacity of up to 240TB, revolutionizing the storage capabilities of hard drives.
The potential of this groundbreaking technology holds significant promise for the future of data storage. With the current industry-leading capacities of hard drives topping out at 24TB for enterprise-class HDDs and 8TB for desktop drives, the possibility of 240TB hard drives represents a tenfold increase in storage capacity. This development could address the growing demands of data-centered applications and provide ample storage for large-scale gaming libraries. The transition from current hard drive offerings to multi-level HAMR drives is poised to transform the storage landscape.
While the advancements in data storage technology are promising, challenges remain in the widespread adoption of multi-level HAMR drives. The initial cost of implementing this technology may be prohibitive, as new read/write heads will need to be designed to accommodate the multi-level material. As a result, the technology may first be introduced in high-end enterprise drives for servers before making its way to desktop consumer products. However, history has shown that innovations in hard drive technology often trickle down from server to desktop markets, suggesting that widespread adoption of multi-level HAMR drives is on the horizon.
The future of hard drives is set to be shaped by advancements in data storage technology. With the potential for 240TB capacities per drive, the limits of storage capabilities are being pushed to new heights. While the exact timeline for the availability of multi-level HAMR drives in consumer products remains unclear, the direction is clear – higher capacities and improved data density are on the horizon. As technology continues to evolve, the storage solutions of tomorrow promise to revolutionize the way we store and access data. The future of hard drives is bright, and the only question that remains is how soon these advancements will become a reality.
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