Density increase

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Toshiba has developed a prototype hard disk drive that holds 120GBytes of data on a single 1.8-inch platter.

Toshiba has developed a prototype of a hard disk drive (HDD) that uses a Discrete Track Recording (DTR) technique that can hold 20GBytes of data on a single 1.8-inch platter.

The drive is claimed to be the first in the world to apply the DTR technique, which boosts the areal density of perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) by a full 50 percent.

Toshiba's latest commercial 1.8-inch HDD offers a single platter capacity of 80GBytes, but the company says that the application of DTR technology will boost the platter capacity to 120GBytes and take the recording density to 516 Mbits per square millimetre or 333Gbits per square inch.

DTR technology increases recording density by forming a "groove" between the tracks on the PMR medium. The groove reduces signal interference between adjacent data tracks, allowing the pitch of the tracks to be shortened. 

Toshiba plans to start mass production of HDDs integrating DTR technology in 2009.

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