Abstract:- Get ready for a wild ride starting with the vast distances of outer space and ending with the tiny
distances that separate atoms. For a very different perspective on data storage, each slide in the
presentation looks at things on a scale that is a factor of ten smaller than the previous slide. The
common thread is the technology of information storage. Information storage is what defines human
history and it is the machine-readable data storage developed in the last half-century that provides the
foundation of the modern information age. More than anything, data storage implies magnetic
recording and the hard disk drive. The humble Hard Disk Drive contains such exquisite technologies
and operates at such astounding precision that it almost defies belief. Yet, our industry churns out
these devices by the hundreds of millions and sells them for a few tens of dollars each. Please enjoy
this light-hearted logarithmic romp through storage technology from interstellar space to interatomic
spacings.
This is a repeat of the talk given in June at the annual ASME ISPS banquet in Santa Clara, California. The
talk is non-confidential.
Bio:- Dr. Roger Wood hails originally from the UK and holds degrees from London University and the
University of British Columbia. He recently retired from the position of Fellow with Western Digital in
San Jose, California. Dr. Wood has a long history in the Magnetic Recording industry starting at Ampex
in 1979, moving to IBM in 1986, to Hitachi in 2003, and to Western Digital in 2012. In 1996, he enjoyed
a year at the Data Storage Institute, Singapore. In 2003-2004, he was fortunate to take an assignment
in Odawara, Japan. At Ampex, Dr. Wood was the inspiration behind the introduction of the first PRML
channel. At Hitachi, he led the advanced development effort on perpendicular recording. Dr. Wood is
perhaps best known for predicting that conventional magnetic recording would be limited to about 1 Tbit/in2. To extend magnetic recording on conventional granular media, he proposed ‘TDMR’, an
approach recently shipped by industry. Dr. Wood’s interests include magnetism, magnetic
recording, signal-processing, and mechanical dynamics. He holds 30 US patents and is an author on around 100 journal papers. Dr. Wood is an IEEE Fellow and was the recipient of the 2009 Magnetics Society Achievement Award.