WW Historical Record of 40TB for HDD

Inside a recent press release on 1FQ24 financial results from Seagate Technology Holdings plc published on October 26, 2023, the company reveals its HDD roadmap (see below).

For the first time, a HDD manufacturer projects disk drives with WW historical record of 40TB to be compared with a maximum of 26TB today (by WD with 2.6TB per platter on 10 disks).

PMR 2.4TB/disk with volume shipments will begin 1CFH24.
HAMR 3+TB/disk is on track to begin volume ramp in early CY24 and broadening customer qualifications. These drives deliver capacity starting at 30TB and offer customers the same flexibility to adopt either CMR or SMR configurations, to further boost areal density into the mid-30TB range. The 30+TB HAMR drives utilize many of the same components in electronics as firm’s 20TB products. They represent the 4th gen product using company’s 10-disk platform and the 7th gen that leverages glass substrates. The 30+TB HAMR drives are currently in qualification.
HAMR 4+TB per disk are expected to launch within the next 2 years
All products utilize 10-disk platform and offer SMR configurations

On its side, WD said its 26TB ultra-SMR drive accounts for nearly half of its nearline exabyte shipments. and is on track with 28TB ultra-SMR drive qualification and have a roadmap of EPMR and ultra-SMR based innovations into the 40TB range, but not indicating when it will come.

As the 3 HDD makers exchange their patents, Toshiba, with the good habit to announce HDDs when they are not far to be available, will also reveal these high-capacity units.

Resource:
Podcast #124: The Path to 50TB HDDs with Frickin Lasers Beams