SONY

The Important Role of the Sugar Coating

You probably already know that the sweet sugar coating on the outside of a pill keeps the person swallowing it from tasting the bitter medicine inside. However, this coating also plays another very important role. The coating helps by blocking things outside from coming in contact with the essential ingredients inside the medicine, enabling it to retain its quality and function.

The magnetic particles of data storage tape also need a sugar coating. Even though these particles are so small that they are measured in nano-scale (one nano is one-million of a millimeter), every tiny magnetic particle is encapsulated with a carefully selected material called a binder (adhesive-like material).

The binder acts as the sugar coating, carefully protecting the functionality (i.e. stored data ) of the magnetic particles, much like the sugar coating on a pill protects the essential ingredients of the medicine.

Sony has been developing technology that will enable even smaller particles measuring a mere 30nm in size to be encapsulated with binder. The realization of this technology is now within reach.

Magnetic Particles Evenly Encapsulated by the Bind

Sony is proud of its technology that enables each of these nanometer size magnetic particles to be evenly encapsulated by the binder. This technology enhances the characteristics of the data storage tape containing your precious data, providing precise and stable writing and reading of data as well as enabling these characteristics to be maintained for many years.

A Multi-Layer Structure Stabilizing Magnetic Particles

The use of multiple layers provides the protection that dramatically enhances the ability of the magnetic particles to resist rust (oxidation which decreases the performance of the tape).

A Binder of High Thermal Stability

The use of a binder with a high level of thermal stability not only disperses nano-scale magnetic particles individually, but also allows the magnetic layer to have more stability against temperature variation. This realizes stable recording characteristics regardless of high tape temperatures caused by the rubbing of tape inside the tape drive. It also ensures archival stability of the tape.