Seagate, a leading storage device manufacturer in the United States, has recently registered a patent for a brand new technology in magnetic disk production, promising to expand hard drive capacities from 1 to nearly 8 terabytes (TB).
Seagate’s Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology effectively functions as a lubrication mechanism using nano tubes that enable the read/write head to get closer to the disk surface.
The smaller the data bits become, the more opportunities manufacturers have to pack more bits onto a device. However, to read or write such tiny bits, the read/write head must approach the surface more closely. The magnetic material also needs to be heated during the writing process, but this can cause the lubricating film to dry out.
Seagate has addressed this issue by creating a cavity within the disk to house the nano lubrication tubes. These tubes periodically release vapor that condenses on the surface, replacing any lubricants that have dried out. This method is similar to the manufacturing processes used for CDs and DVDs.
Seagate is confident that the HAMR technology will enable the production of a 1.8-inch 600 GB drive, a 2.5-inch 1.46 TB drive, or a 3.5-inch 7.5 TB drive (1 TB = 1,000 GB). However, they have not disclosed a manufacturing timeline or when these devices might be released to the market.
T.N
