Seagate Nets $21M for Storage Research

Seagate Technology Inc., Scotts Valley, Calif., has won a research grant from National Institute of Standards and Technology worth up to $21 million to develop a new storage technology, called heat-assisted magnetic recording, or HAMR.

The contract, awarded through the Department of Commerce's Advanced Technology Program, is a joint development venture between Seagate, the National Storage Industry Consortium, Advanced Research Corp., Carnegie Mellon University, MEMS Optical Inc., the University of Arizona and Euxine Technologies.

When developed, heat-assisted magnetic recording is expected to increase storage capacities by a factor of 100 or more. The technology uses a laser beam to heat recording discs, allowing for a higher density of information to be recorded in a stable form.

"HAMR will enable us to use denser media that can store more information onto ever smaller and more tightly-spaced bits while also maintaining thermal stability," said Mark Kryder, senior vice president at Seagate Research.

Seagate, a storage drive manufacturer, will take the lead role in research and provide technical management, while the consortium will provide administrative and financial management.