Effects of magnetic tape substrate thickness on lateral tape motion, magnetic performance, and durability

Abstract

The ever increasing demand for greater storage capacity is prompting the development of thinner data storage tapes. As tapes are made thinner than ever, it brings magnetic and physical durability into question. Today's tapes are approximately 9.0 μm thick with next generation tapes being 7.0 μm thick and thinner tapes are in development. These thinner tapes damage more easily, especially near the edges, creating problems as debris from damaged areas finds its way into the head to tape interface. The objective of the current study is to determine the effects a thinner substrate has on a tape's magnetic and tribological performance. Root-mean-square head output and dropouts were monitored to provide a metric of magnetic performance, whereas lateral tape motion was monitored using a dual edge probe methodology to monitor the tracking quality. Coefficient of friction was monitored to gauge the tribological performance. Changes in tape edge quality were quantified using optical microscopy as a measure of physical durability. Thinner tapes have less lateral tape motion, a higher coefficient of friction, and a greater tendency to produce debris. Although thinner tapes are not better in every way, the transition to thinner tape presents no formidable challenges.