30TB Hard Drives Set to Become Mainstream by Next Year

Toshiba has announced plans to introduce 30TB+ hard drives to the commercial market by 2025. This leap in storage capacity is made possible through the use of two advanced magnetic recording technologies: Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR).

Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR)

HAMR technology enhances writing capabilities by heating the disk material with a near-field laser. Despite concerns about its readiness, quality, reliability, and compatibility, HAMR is gaining acceptance among major drive manufacturers. Seagate recently demonstrated the technology’s potential with an experimental test where a Mozaic 3+ HAMR-equipped drive operated continuously for over 6,000 hours without issues.

Using HAMR in combination with Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR), which increases storage capacity by overlapping data tracks, Toshiba achieved a remarkable 32TB capacity over 10 x 3TB platters.

Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR)

MAMR technology uses microwaves to enhance magnetic recording capabilities. Toshiba pioneered this technology, beginning mass production of the first-generation MAMR drives in 2021. By integrating SMR technology, improving signal processing, and stacking 11 platters, Toshiba has reached a 31TB capacity.

Toshiba’s Dual-Track Approach

Larry Martinez-Palomo, Toshiba’s Vice President and Head of Storage Products Division, stated, “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.”

Looking Ahead

Toshiba plans to begin shipping test HAMR HDDs with capacities ranging from 28 to 30TB in 2025. This move signifies a major step forward in data storage, promising substantial benefits for both commercial and consumer applications.