Seagate Unveils Its Own HAMR

Its Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology records data magnetically on high-stability media using laser thermal assistance, rather than plain old magnets.

Seagate expects the technology to be used with self-ordered magnetic arrays of iron-platinum particles to break through the so-called superparamagnetic limit of magnetic recording by more than a factor of 100 to eventually deliver storage densities as high as 50 terabits per square inch.

Only a few years ago, the limit had been thought to be 100 gigabits per square inch, which Seagate broke late last year.

We have seen storage density increase at a phenomenal rate over the last three years. 120GB drives are now common. Within the next five to ten years, the data bits will become so small that they may become magnetically unstable.The best way around this is a more stable medium to write the data.

Magnetic heads that are able to write to these new media are too expensive, too powerful, and still in development. Seagate's approach is to heat the medium with a laser-generated beam at the precise spot where data bits are being recorded.

When heated, the media becomes easier to write, and the rapid subsequent cooling stabilises the written data. It also promises to bring increased levels of reliability.

Seagate designed HAMR to provide a cost structure comparable to current drives, which means we may see a one terabyte drive for $300 eventually.

The announcement coincides with the grand opening celebration of Seagate's new 200,000 square foot, state of the art research center located in Pittsburgh, PA. µ