Fujifilm’s unique barium ferrite (BaFe) particle achieved the world’s highest areal density: 29.5 billion bits per square inch on linear magnetic tape.

This leads the way to develop a 35 trillion bytes of data capacity per cartridge.
(44 times*1 the data capacity of today’s most popular industry-standard magnetic tape product)

FUJIFILM Corporation (President and CEO: Shigetaka Komori) has announced that in cooperation with IBM Corporation (New York, U.S.A.), the two companies have demonstrated a world record in areal density on linear magnetic tape. An areal density of 29.5 billion bits per square inch with magnetic tape media using BaFe particles*2. The demonstration points to the possibility of developing a single tape cartridge capable of holding 35 terabytes. This is 44 times*1 the data capacity of today’s industry most popular standard magnetic tape products, LTO*3 Generation 4.

Currently, large capacity data storage media is required due to the increase in worldwide data storage volume. For further capacity expansion of magnetic tape storage media, it is necessary to micrify the particle size and increase the recording density. However, this is extremely difficult using metal particles, which is the most popular among the magnetic tape media market. It is essential to keep high coercivity for high density recording. Therefore, ahead of the other media manufacturers, Fujifilm has advanced the development of BaFe particles. This advanced development offers to keep high coercivity (using micro fine particles), lower noise, higher frequency characteristics and superior storage performance than metal particles. In 2006, in collaboration between Fujifilm and IBM, a world record in data density on linear magnetic tape was achieved using BaFe particles with a density of 6.67 billion bits per square inch.
In this demonstration, Fujifilm employed advanced NANOCUBIC technology - Advanced NANO particle, Advanced NANO coating and Advanced NANO dispersion. Using these technologies, Fujifilm succeeded in the microparticulation of BaFe particles to 1600nm³ which is approximately one-third of the current metal particle volume, the uniform dispersion, and the uniform coating of super smooth thin magnetic layer. Also, the new perpendicular orientation technology controlled the particle disposition at the nanometer size and the new tape surface allows the tape to run smoothly. The combination of Fujifilm’s technologies and IBM’s new servo format pattern, new signal processing technology, and low-friction head technology improved the areal density dramatically to achieve a density of 29.5 billion bits per square inch.

Fujifilm has applied the most advanced technologies such as NANOCUBIC technology to recording media products for large capacity data storage. Fujifilm have supplied high capacity and quality data storage media such as IBM 3592 data cartridge*4 (640GB/1TB) for the enterprise data storage market and maintained the largest production share of LTO Ultrium cartridge in the midrange data storage market. With the use of BaFe particles, Fujifilm will continue to take the lead in the development of large capacity data storage media in the field of recording media products. This includes the highly functional material field and to support the development of advanced data storage systems.

Fujifilm contributed to this world’s highest areal density with the following technologies.

1. 1. Advanced NANO particle technology
* Fujifilm’s new synthesis technology achieved the microparticulation of BaFe particles to 1600nm³ which is approximately one-third of current metal particle volume.
* It inhibited the variability of particle volume by microparticulation which was able to generate stable uniform volume super-fine BaFe particles.
2. 2. Advanced NANO coating technology
* Fujifilm succeeded in the uniform coating of super smooth thin magnetic layer which has very little thickness variation to reduce noise.
* By adopting a new design of the magnetic surface layer, Fujifilm achieved a smooth and low-friction magnetic surface layer and drastically reduced the fluctuation of signal output. This contributed to the improvement of data density.
3. 3. Advanced NANO dispersion
* A new dispersion material was used to control agglomeration of micrified particles. Fujifilm succeeded in the uniform dispersion of super fine BaFe particles.
4. 4. NANO perpendicular orientation
* Fujifilm achieved the high-performance orientation by controlling BaFe particles in the nanometer sizes.
* Perpendicular orientation can take advantage of BaFe particle’s crystal magnetic anisotropy to achieve the higher frequency characteristics.

* *1 This is rounded up from 43.75 times.
* *2 This was confirmed in the demonstration conducted in IBM Research - Zurich.
* *3 Linear Tape-Open, LTO, the LTO Logo, Ultrium and the Ultrium Logo are trademark of HP, IBM, and Quantum in the US and the other countries.
* *4 Tape cartridge for IBM TotalStorage®Enterprise Tape Drive 3592.
(TotalStorage® is the registered trademark of IBM Corporation in the U.S.A. and the other countries.)