Data Storage Systems Center

The project focuses on a novel medium which is a promising candidate for the next generation tape products enabling ultra high density recording. The new medium, referred to as NanoCAP [1], employs spherical particles with 17nm in diameter instead of acicular particles in current tape products. The round shape and small size of NanoCAP help achieve high packing rate. Unlike shape anisotropy in acicular particles, NanoCAP has strong uniaxial crystalline anisotropy to maintain the spatial preference in magnetization direction. The crystalline anisotropy yields higher coercivity than that of acicular particles whose shape anisotropy is limited by the saturation magnetization. With its smaller size, higher packing ratio and stronger uniaxial anisotropy, NanoCAP demonstrates potential gain in ultra high density recording.

[1] Y.Sasaki et al., IEEE Trans. on Magnetics, Vol. 41 Issue 10, 2005