- Toshiba plans to release 30TB+ hard drives in 2025 using HAMR and MAMR technologies.
- HAMR uses lasers to heat disk material, while MAMR uses microwaves to boost recording capacity.
- Test drives with 28-30TB capacity will ship in 2025, leading to mass production after validation.
Toshiba is set to revolutionize the hard drive market with its announcement of 30TB+ hard drives expected to hit the commercial market in 2025.
This breakthrough is made possible through two innovative magnetic recording technologies: Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR).
HAMR technology enhances the hard drive’s writing capabilities by heating the disk material with a near-field laser.
Despite some skepticism regarding HAMR’s readiness, quality, reliability, and compatibility, all major drive manufacturers are adopting it.
For example, Seagate recently reported a successful test where their Mozaic 3+ HAMR-equipped drives ran continuously for over 6,000 hours without issues.
HAMR, combined with Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR), allows Toshiba to increase storage capacity significantly by overlapping data tracks. This combination helped Toshiba achieve a 32TB drive using 10 platters, each with a capacity of 3TB.
The second technology, MAMR, uses microwaves to enhance magnetic recording abilities. Toshiba has been a leader in this technology, having started mass production of first-generation MAMR drives back in 2021.
By combining MAMR with SMR technology, improved signal processing, and stacking 11 platters, Toshiba has achieved a 31TB drive.
Larry Martinez-Palomo, Toshiba’s Vice President and Head of the Storage Products Division, shared, “Toshiba is concurrently advancing the development of future generation high-capacity HDDs using both HAMR and MAMR technologies. Mass production of hard disk drives incorporating HAMR will commence after the validation phase is completed. In the interim, Toshiba will continue to satisfy the demand for high-capacity, high-reliability storage devices with hard disk drives employing the field-proven MAMR technology.”
Toshiba plans to begin shipping test HAMR HDDs, with capacities ranging from 28 to 30TB, in 2025. This move marks a significant step towards meeting the growing demand for high-capacity storage solutions.
HAMR Technology
HAMR stands for Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording. This technology enhances the writing capabilities of hard drives by heating the disk material with a laser.
This makes it easier to write data onto the disk, which is crucial for increasing storage capacity.
However, HAMR has faced some criticism regarding its readiness and reliability. Despite these concerns, all major hard drive manufacturers are adopting HAMR technology.
MAMR Technology
MAMR stands for Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording. This technology uses microwaves to improve the magnetic recording abilities of hard drives.
Toshiba has been a pioneer in this field, starting mass production of MAMR drives in 2021.
By combining MAMR with Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) and stacking more platters, Toshiba has successfully created a 31TB drive.
What’s Next?
Toshiba’s announcement of 30TB+ hard drives is a significant milestone in the storage industry. The use of HAMR and MAMR technologies, along with SMR, has enabled Toshiba to achieve these high capacities.
With the growing demand for high-capacity, high-reliability storage devices, Toshiba’s advancements are timely and promising.
The company plans to begin shipping test HAMR HDDs in 2025, marking the beginning of a new era for hard drives. These drives, with capacities ranging from 28 to 30TB, will undergo rigorous testing before mass production begins.
