Seagate not too long ago printed its long-term know-how roadmap revealing plans to provide ~50 TB arduous drives by 2026 and 120+ TB HDDs after 2030. In the approaching years, Seagate is ready to leverage utilization of heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), undertake bit patterned media (BPM) in the long run, and to increase utilization of multi-actuator know-how (MAT) for high-capacity drives. This is all inside the 3.5-inch type issue.
“We can use our recent experience, productizing our 20 TB HAMR drive to translate from laboratory demonstrations to products, which puts us on track to deliver 50 terabytes by 2026,” stated John Morris, Chief Technology Officer of Seagate. “We have drive applied sciences deliberate which is able to allow long run HAMR development and a path to over 100 TB units. And arduous disk drives will proceed to service the wants of mass capability storage with probably the most optimum, whole value of possession for the subsequent decade and past.”
HAMR to Enable 90 TB HDDs
In the latest years HDD capability has been growing somewhat slowly as perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR), even boosted with two-dimensional magnetic recording (TDMR), is reaching its limits. Seagate’s present top-of-the-range HDD contains a 20 TB capability and relies on HAMR, which not solely guarantees to allow 3.5-inch arduous drives with a ~90 TB capability in the long run, but in addition to permit Seagate to extend capacities of its merchandise sooner.
In specific, Seagate expects 30+ TB HDDs to reach in calendar 2023, then 40+ TB drives in 2024 ~ 2025, after which 50+ TB HDDs typically in 2026. This was revealed at its latest Virtual Analyst Event. In 2030, the producer intends to launch a 100 TB HDD, with 120 TB models following on later subsequent decade. To hit these greater capacities, Seagate is trying to undertake new kinds of media.
“As we approach the maximum useful capacity of PMR technology, each successive drive increases by 1TB or 2TB at a time,” stated Jeff Fochtman, Seagate’s SVP of Business and Marketing on the firm’s Analyst Meeting. “With HAMR technology, it allows us to jump in steps of 4 terabytes, 6 terabytes, or even 10 terabytes at a time.”
Today’s 20 TB HAMR HDD makes use of 9 2.22-TB platters that includes an areal density of round 1.3 Tb/inch2. To construct a nine-platter 40 TB arduous drive, the corporate wants HAMR media that includes an areal density of roughly 2.6 Tb Tb/inch2. Back in 2018~2019 the corporate already achieved a 2.381 Tb/inch2 areal density in spinstand testing in its lab and not too long ago it truly managed to hit 2.6 Tb/inch2 within the lab, so the corporate is aware of learn how to construct media for 40 TB HDDs. However to construct an entire product, it’s going to nonetheless have to develop the appropriate head, drive controller, and different electronics for its 40 TB drive, which is able to take a number of years.
Bit Patterned Media (BPM) to allow HDDs as much as 120 TB
In common, Seagate tasks HAMR know-how to proceed scaling for years to return with out cardinal adjustments. The firm expects HAMR and nanogranular media primarily based on glass substrates and that includes iron platinum alloy (FePt) magnetic movies to scale to 4 ~ 6 Tb/inch2 in areal density. This ought to allow arduous drives of as much as 90 TB in capability.
In a bid to hit one thing like 105 TB, Seagate expects to make use of ordered-granular media with 5 ~ 7 Tb/inch2 areal density. Yo go additional, the world’s largest HDD producer plans to make use of ‘totally’ bit patterned media (BPM) with an 8 Tb/inch2 areal density or greater. All new kinds of media will nonetheless require some type of assisted magnetic recording, so HAMR will stick with us in a single type or one other for years to return.
“We see a chance to scale this design area with granular media into the vary of 4 Tb/inch2 to six Tb/inch2, at which level we plan so as to add patterning in a single…
