Hard Disk Drive Companies Could Become Dominate Laser Manufacturers

Advancements in Digital Storage Technology at the 45th MSST Conference

The 45th International Conference on Massive Storage Systems and Technology (MSST) marked a significant milestone in the world of digital storage technology. As the oldest continuous IEEE conference on this topic, it brought together experts to share the latest developments and innovations in the field. The conference covered a wide range of topics, including automation for storage management, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and the history of network file systems (NFS) and parallel network file systems (PNFS).

One of the highlights of the conference was the celebration of the 40th anniversary of NFS, which was attended by many of the people involved in its creation and evolution. The event also featured talks on object storage, digital storage for AI workflows, and the latest advancements in hard disk drives (HDDs) and LTO magnetic tape. Riyan Mendosa from Seagate gave a notable talk on the history of heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) and its potential to increase storage capacity to 10TB/disk and beyond.

Seagate’s HAMR Technology and its Impact on the Storage Industry

Seagate has been shipping HAMR HDDs in volume since 2024, and its competitors, Western Digital and Toshiba, plan to follow suit in 2026. The HAMR technology uses a laser to heat the magnetic material, allowing for more precise and efficient recording. This innovation has the potential to significantly increase storage capacity, making it an exciting development for the industry. Seagate is already working on manufacturing its own integrated lasers for HAMR HDDs, which could lead to even greater advancements in the future.

The conference also featured discussions on the potential for HAMR to drive HDD companies to become major manufacturers of commercial lasers. With the estimated total number of industrial and commercial lasers being less than 10 million units in 2024, the demand for HAMR lasers could lead to a significant increase in production. This, in turn, could make Seagate a dominant player in the commercial laser market and potentially competitive in other applications, such as optical recording and photonics communication.

Magnetic Tape Media Trends and the Future of Storage

Matt Ninesling from Spectra Logic presented on magnetic tape media trends, highlighting the latest generation LTO 10 tape format with 30TB per tape native capacity. This technology enables the building of higher capacity tape libraries, which are primarily serial attached SCSI (SAS) products. The development of LTO 10 and other advancements in magnetic tape media demonstrate the ongoing innovation in the storage industry and the importance of continued research and development in this field.

The 45th MSST conference showcased the exciting advancements being made in digital storage technology, from HAMR and magnetic tape media to object storage and AI workflows. As the storage industry continues to evolve, it is clear that innovation and collaboration will play a crucial role in shaping its future. With the potential for HAMR to increase storage capacity and drive the growth of commercial lasers, the possibilities for the industry are vast and promising.