The Recording Head Research Department is responsible for fundamental research and development in magnetic materials and structures which will lead to magnetic read/write heads used in Hitachi's latest high capacity/high performance disk drive products. Understanding the basic science of recording at areal densities approaching 200 Gbits/in2 and beyond is a principal charter of this group. The team has played a key role in advancing areal density growth to its present 100 % per year with the introduction of the giant magnetoresistive read sensors in a 1997 disk drive product and since that time IBM has continued leadership in areal density with each new product announcement. IBM has traditionally played a leadership role in the introduction of new head technologies; from inductive read/write heads in 1978, MR read/inductive write heads in 1991, to today's GMR read/inductive write heads. IBM first demonstrated the GMR effect in a thin film structure at room temperature and this lead to the present spin valve read head design which has subsequently become and industry standard, essentially replacing the previous MR technology.

The group has been pivotal in developing new head technologies that enable demonstrations of progressively higher areal densities in a laboratory environment and establish the capabilities of recording heads for advanced products. This team is continuing leading edge research in advanced inductive structures for writing high coercivity disks at operating frequencies approaching 1 GHz and in advanced read sensors by extending GMR sensors as well as by developing new magnetic tunnel and CPP sensor technologies required for areal densities exceeding 200 Gbits/in2.

These advanced head structures are considered to be candidates for new and innovative types of magnetic recording which could be radically different from today's head and media technology.