Trends in Magnetic Recording Media

Abstract

SummaryMagnetic tapes have been popular for nonvolatile information storage for a long time, however the past decade has seen a significant growth of new types of memory. This is because of increasing demands for higher data storage densities that have pressured manufacturers to produce storage systems with higher capacity. To meet these demands, the granular films of the Co-based alloy were reduced in thickness and grain size, however grain size reduction below ~10 nm posed problems. This is due to thermal fluctuations becoming uncontrollable, therefore leading to loss of information. The present chapter discusses the latest developments aimed at overcoming these challenges. As such, the capabilities and limitations encountered by magnetic tapes as recording media are reviewed. Additionally, new tendencies in magnetic recording media are uncovered, by examining closer discrete bit media. The latter have proven so far to have several distinct advantages over continuous media. This is in part due to their discrete bit-cells being able of maintaining a thermally stable single domain remanent state. For this reason, it appears that bit patterning the magnetic medium may be the key for next generation magnetic data storage solutions if certain challenges are overcome. As an alternative route, self-assembly may constitute the means of manufacturing future magnetic media, therefore a brief look is taken at this option.