Hypertrack Patterned Magnetic Recording Medium
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patterned magnetic recording media face challenges in maximizing areal data density and achieving improved reading and writing performance due to limitations in data island spacing and track spacing, leading to interference and fabrication difficulties.
Innovation Solution
The arrangement of data islands in radially-spaced multi-track groups, or 'hypertracks', with islands shifted within tracks and between hypertracks to minimize interference and allow closer packing, enabling increased areal data density and reduced error rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data islands are closely spaced to increase areal data density, then storage capacity is improved, but interference between adjacent tracks occurs causing reading and writing errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the disk surface into distinct hypertrack groups separated by nonmagnetic regions. Each hypertrack contains multiple data islands that are magnetically isolated from islands in other hypertracks by the nonmagnetic spacing regions, allowing closely spaced tracks while preventing interference between groups
Solution Approach 2:
Nonmagnetic regions are introduced as intermediary elements between adjacent hypertracks. These regions with reduced magnetic moment act as magnetic shields that prevent fringing fields from writing heads in one hypertrack from affecting data islands in adjacent hypertracks, enabling closer track spacing without interference
2Measurement precision
If single-track wide heads are used to maintain precision, then reading and writing accuracy is improved, but fabrication difficulty increases and data rate is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The head is designed as a two-track wide structure that spans across two hypertracks simultaneously. This segmented approach allows the head to service multiple tracks with a single element, doubling the effective data rate while maintaining adequate precision through the hypertrack organization that groups tracks with similar magnetic characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The two-track wide head performs multiple functions by simultaneously reading and writing data across two adjacent hypertracks. This multi-functional design increases productivity and reduces the number of head elements needed, simplifying overall system fabrication while maintaining performance through the hypertrack structure
3Quantity of substance
If data islands are shifted within hypertracks, then areal data density is increased, but fabrication precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Data islands within each hypertrack are deliberately positioned asymmetrically with offsets from the nominal track centerlines. This asymmetric arrangement allows tracks to be closely spaced while maintaining magnetic isolation through the nonmagnetic regions, increasing areal density without requiring ultra-precise positioning since the offset pattern is deterministic and can be accounted for in the hypertrack design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positioning parameters of data islands by introducing controlled offsets within hypertracks. By systematically varying the island positions according to a defined pattern rather than requiring all islands to be perfectly centered, the design achieves higher density while relaxing the stringency of fabrication precision requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration results in a significant increase in areal data density, improved reading and writing performance, and reduced error rates by minimizing interference between hypertracks, while making head fabrication easier due to increased bit aspect ratio.
Implementation Method 1
an inductive write head
Implementation Method 2
a magnetoresistive read head
Implementation Method 3
the magnetic recording layer on the disk is patterned into small isolated data islands
Data Source
AI summary
A patterned magnetic recording medium has discrete data islands arranged in spaced-apart tracks, with the tracks being arranged in multi-track groups or “hypertracks”. The islands have an equal island-spacing (IS) distance in the along-the-track direction and within each hypertrack the tracks are spaced-apart an equal track-spacing (TS) distance. If there are N tracks in a hypertrack then the islands in each track of a hypertrack are shifted in the along-the-track direction by 1/N times IS from the islands in adjacent tracks in the same hypertrack. The read and write heads have a lateral or cross-track width generally equal to the cross-track width of a hypertrack, so the read and write heads span all the individual tracks in a hypertrack. The hypertracks are spaced apart cross-track direction by a group-spacing (GS) distance, with GS being greater than TS. The islands in a hypertrack may be shifted in the along-the-track direction by approximately ½N times IS from the islands in adjacent hypertracks.