Fujitsu Develops HDD Media Technology with Potential for 300Gb/sq.inch Recording Density; 56 Gb/sq.in. Recording Density Already Demonstrated.

Business & High Tech Editors

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2000

Fujitsu has succeeded in developing a new type of recording media, called LEXIS (Layer Exchange Interaction Stabilized), which has the potential to achieve three times the density of the current theoretical limit governed by thermal fluctuation of magnetization.

The new media technology will be used to expand the capacity of hard-disk drives (HDDs) for information storage devices for computers and home information electronics products. Using the new media technology together with a newly developed head, Fujitsu has already demonstrated a recording density of 56Gb/sq. inch -- the world's best performance as of today.

With this density, a 3.5-inch HDD containing two disks could store about 30 movies in DVD-quality video. Moreover, when used together with high-output heads, the new media technology has the potential to achieve a recording density of 300Gb/sq.in.

The details of the new media technology will be announced at the International Magnetics Conference in Toronto, Canada, which will take place from April 9. A portion of this technology is based on research sponsored by ASET (the Association of Super-Advanced Electronics Technologies).

Development Background

The growing use of the Internet and digital cameras has increased the need for recording and storage of sound and image data, even on home-use PCs. A compressed still image requires several tens of kilobytes of storage capacity, and a one-minute video requires 30 megabytes (current television transmission-standard compressed data). In recent years, average HDD capacity has been increasing annually by 1.6 - 2 times. At such a rate, products with 100Gb/sq.in. recording density might be expected to appear by 2003.

However, thermal decay, which makes recorded information unstable or ultimately causes loss of information, has been a bottleneck in the development of higher-density technology. Fujitsu has addressed this issue by developing a new type of recording media, called LEXIS Media.

LEXIS Features

-- The Fujitsu development team was able to reduce information degradation
resulting from the media's thermal decay by adding a multi-layer stabilizing
layer under the recording layer. The stabilizing layer does not affect
information output, and by firmly coupling magnetically with the recording
layer (anti-ferromagnetic coupling) it stabilizes recording signals from
degradation, even at higher recording density.

-- As a result of this technology, degradation of recorded information by
thermal decay can be reduced to one fifth of current levels.

-- With a prototype media using this technology and specular GMR
(giant-magneto-resistive) head now under development, Fujitsu researchers have
demonstrated 56 Gb/sq.in. recording density - a world record. This level of
density is equivalent to 78 gigabytes (627 Gbits) on a single 3.5 disk.

The density limit imposed by thermal decay in existing media has been estimated at 100 Gb/sq.in. Since media utilizing this new technology is able to accommodate three times more magnetic energy than the present media, it has potential to realize recording density of 300 Gb/sq.inch when combined with a high-output head, such as a TMR (Tunneling Magneto-Resistive) head.

About Fujitsu Limited

Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) is a leading provider of comprehensive information technology and network solutions for the global marketplace. Comprising over 500 group companies and affiliates worldwide -- including ICL, Amdahl and DMR Consulting Group -- the Fujitsu Group had consolidated revenues of 5.24 trillion yen ($43.3 billion) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999. With world-class hardware and software technology in computers, telecommunications and microelectronics, and a corps of 55,000 systems and services experts around the world, Fujitsu is uniquely positioned to harness the power of the network to help its customers succeed. Altogether, the Fujitsu Group has 188,000 employees and operations in over 100 countries.

Home page: http://www.fujitsu.co.jp/en/

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