Magnetoresistive Thin Film Multi-Channel Tape Heads
Over the next several years, the greatest growth in the tape drive market is expected to take place in one primary area: backup systems for network servers. In order to match the needs of growing network servers, new tape drives must have greater capacity, faster transfer rates and lower costs than ever before. To circumvent performance and fabrication issues that are limiting such current tape drive technologies as digital audio tape (DAT) or 8mm helical scan tape drives and higher-cost digital linear tape (DLT) drives, Read-Rite is developing a Magnetoresistive Thin Film Multi-channel Tape Head. These thin film heads are fabricated through a batch photolithographic method that allows for very small head dimensions and precise alignment of the multiple channels in the head. A combination of features of the new multi-channel tape heads is expected to enable higher performance, lower cost assembly that will extend linear tape technology to meet the price and performance requirements of the future server backup market.
The multi-channel heads being developed for the network backup market are very similar to the MR thin film heads Read-Rite is manufacturing for hard-disk drives. In fact, Read-Rite drew upon its MR recording head design team's know-how in creating multi-channel tape heads. Read-Rite is continuing to make investments in further research and development of Magnetoresistive Thin Film Multi-channel Tape Heads and related technologies to address what it believes is a significant opportunity in the network server backup market.
