Toshiba has spoken about plans to push the disk capacity far beyond today’s limits. They are introducing 40TB models and an eventual move toward 55TB and beyond. PC Watch mentions that the company detailed its roadmap at a recent symposium in Japan. The details describe advances in platter counts, recording technologies, and materials. It is expected to shape its next generation of data centre drives.
MAMR and HAMR
In October, we reported that Toshiba had verified a 12-disk stacking design for nearline drives, debuting for the storage industry. This approach will include two platters to the familiar ten-disk layout and replace aluminium substrates with glass. It will allow thinner disks, finer tolerances, and better durability. Toshiba paired the design with MAMR and said it planned to reach 40TB capacities in 2027. There has been a steady rise in HDD storage sizes from 2017’s 10TB models to today’s 24TB capacity. Toshiba has raised the density by moving from CMR designs to its FC MAMR system. It is expanding the platter counts from seven to nine and then to ten. The company has increased the density with refinements to both CMR and MAMR, reaching 22TB and 24TB capacities in 2024.
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How will it benefit?
MAMR and HAMR are two approaches to energy-aided magnetic recording. It will raise storage density beyond what conventional methods allow. MAMR uses a microwave field to stabilise the writing process so data can be written to smaller magnetic regions without losing accuracy. HAMR relies on a tiny, precisely controlled burst of heat from a semiconductor laser to momentarily lower the resistance of the media, enabling even finer magnetic patterns.
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The roadmap shows targets of 45TB in 2028 and 55TB or more after 2029 as HAMR and 12 platter stacking mature, pointing toward what would be among the largest hard drives on the market.
