Solving the reliability and cost issues of the existing HAMR method

Western Digital announced the development of an ultra-high-capacity HDD capable of meeting future big data demands, based on proven data center-grade reliability.

Western Digital held an event at its Silicon Valley headquarters under the theme "Innovating to Fuel the Next Decade of Big Data." The event featured a demonstration of the world's first HDD equipped with Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR) technology, along with a presentation by Jimmy Zhu, a company executive and MAMR technology developer who is also a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Additionally, improvements in Micro Actuation and Damascene Recording Head technologies were introduced.

Western Digital has recently been pursuing innovation in materials and processes to provide stable and predictable performance and achieve an annual average improvement of over 15% in areal density and cost in terms of manufacturing capabilities. While the existing Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) method faced challenges in new materials science and reliability, the newly announced MAMR technology is not constrained by these issues and satisfies the requirements of data center operators in terms of reliability and cost. Western Digital predicted that in 2019, ultra-high capacity MAMR HDDs would be shipped and available for use in data centers supporting big data applications in various fields.

The core of this technology lies in the 'spin torque oscillator.' The spin torque oscillator is used to generate a microwave field that enhances data recording capabilities without loss of reliability, even in ultra-high-density environments. Based on this, Western Digital's MAMR technology is expected to provide a recording density of over 4 terabit (Tb) per square inch. Furthermore, it is projected that the development of HDDs with a capacity of over 40 terabytes (TB) will be possible by 2025 through the continuous improvement of recording density via MAMR technology.

Western Digital’s MAMR technology, which significantly improves areal density, was developed based on the company’s microactuation and recording head manufacturing technologies, which were also used in the development of the helium-filled drive technology, 'HelioSeal'. This enhanced microactuation technology for data center applications ensures that the hard drive’s magnetic head remains accurately and stably positioned even during read and write operations in ultra-high-density environments. Furthermore, the manufacturing of heads with precise tolerance ranges and complex structures required for stable and cost-effective recording in such ultra-high-density environments is achieved through in-house supply via the damascene process. The damascene process also enables the insertion of spin torque oscillators necessary for MAMR head manufacturing. The combination of these technologies enables Western Digital's HDDs to dramatically reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of cloud and enterprise data centers of all sizes.

This announcement of MAMR technology is an achievement based on the leadership Western Digital has built in the HDD field. Western Digital has achieved innovations including the acquisition of over 7,000 HDD technology-related patents, the recent launch of the world's first enterprise-grade 14TB HDD incorporating host-managed SMR technology, continuous improvements to helium-based HDD technology, and the world's first multi-disk design.

"Western Digital's MAMR technology has enabled us to approach the future of high-capacity storage by redefining HDD density and introducing a new dimension of highly stabilized, ultra-high-capacity drives," said Mike Cordano, President and COO of Western Digital. "Just as Western Digital has shipped over 20 million helium drives since introducing HelioSeal technology five years ago, our goal is to continue this leadership and innovation."