Showa Denko With Seagate to Develop HAMR HDD Media

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) and Seagate Singapore International HQs Pte. Ltd. (Seagate Technology plc) have agreed to jointly develop next-gen HDD media compatible with HAMR ^(*)), a next-gen recording technology for HDDs.

As technology compatible with HAMR, SDK recently developed a new FePt-based magnetic material, enabling mass production of HAMR-based HD media while realizing the high ordering temperature of the FePt material, which was considered difficult to achieve with conventional HD media.

Seagate has been a provider in the HDD industry, and in the development of HAMR-based HDDs, for years. Based on the development agreement the companies have entered into, Seagate will evaluate the FePt-based magnetic material developed by SDK as well as new material to be jointly developed in the future. This alliance is expected to accelerate the development speed of HAMR-related technologies for both companies.

With the launch of 5G services, spread of the IoT penetration of telework, and progress and expansion of digital transformation, the amount of newly generated data is expected to increase in the near future. It is therefore urgent than ever for centres storing this data to increase capacity per HDD unit as well.

Showa Denko Group’s Vision is to make itself a Koseiha Company (a group of Koseiha businesses that can maintain profitability and stability at high levels over a long period). Its HD media business is one such core Koseiha business. As the largest independent manufacturer of HD media, SDK will be first to market with iproducts supporting next-gen recording technologies such as HAMR and MAMR, contributing to higher HDD storage capacities.

^(*) Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording is a technology for increasing the density of HD media by heating the disk material locally while recording, resolving the ‘trilemma of magnetic recording’: the simultaneous realization of fine magnetic particles, thermal fluctuation resistance, and ease of magnetization. Maximum storage density with conventional magnetic HD media peaks at 1.14Tb/in², while theoretical storage density with HAMR technology is 5 to 6Tb/in², as the theoretical possibility of 3.5″ HDD media with a storage density of 70 to 80TB becomes reality.