Sony has achieved the world’s highest tape storage density for next-generation, high-capacity recording by demonstrating the storage of more than 11 billion bits of data on
one square inch (11.5 Gb/inch2) on magnetic tape.
This breakthrough, made possible through advancements in read/write heads, encoding techniques and metal evaporated media technology, nearly doubles the previous tape storage areal density record of 6.5 Gb/inch2, set by Sony in early 2000. Based on these achievements, Sony is actively developing its next-generation Advanced Intelligent Tape(TM) (AIT) drive, and with its strong R&D foundation, the company still expects to extend the AIT format to at least a sixth generation member.
Sony’s AIT family and its new S-AIT platform leverage extensive R&D investments in high areal density recording, validating the roadmap to double capacity and performance about every two years.
Sony’s recently demonstrated storage areal density breakthrough of 11.5 Gbits/inch2 was achieved in its Core Technology Development Center in Japan, and enabled by sophisticated head and media technology. Surpassing past technological limitations, this recent achievement marks the third time that Sony has substantially increased the recording density capability of AIT tapes since the introduction of the AIT platform in 1996. In fact, Sony has systematically increased the future AIT areal recoding density from 1 Gbit/inch2 in 1998 to 6.5 Gbits/inch2 in 2000 and now to 11.5 Gbits/inch2.
In the most recent accomplishment, Sony is employing second-generation shielded spin-valve Giant Magnetoresistive (GMR-2) read heads that are highly sensitive to effectively and reliably detecting low-level magnetic fields from the tape. As a result, products incorporating GMR-2 heads can reliably perform at higher linear bit densities and much smaller track widths than current designs. When coupled with the lower magnetization layer of Sony’s Advanced Metal Evaporated (AME) tape formulation, data recording capacity is significantly improved, yielding future capabilities of up to two TBs in an 8mm cassette or up to ten TBs in a half-inch, single-reel cartridge.
In addition, the AME process provides precise control of the magnetization layer and surface properties of the media, which is key in reducing wear on the data media and the drive’s magnetic heads assuring long service life. AME media also has the advantage in limiting electrostatic charge build-up between the media and the GMR heads.
Helical-scan recording technologies pioneered by Sony enable users to store more information on less tape and with less wear on the tape and drives. Both AIT and S-AIT drives are based on helical-scan recording, which is characterized by a very stable rotating drum/head platform, low tape tension and single-pass operation, to permit accurate and reliable data recording and read-back at very high track densities. This efficient data packing density is typically five times greater than most linear serpentine recording technologies, enabling industry-leading, space-efficient customer solutions.
