Expansion of Production Capacity for Sputtering Targets for Magnetic Devices Used in Hard Disk Media

Expansion of Production Capacity for Sputtering Targets for Magnetic Devices Used in Hard Disk Media

JX Advanced Metals Corporation (President: Hayashi Yoichi; hereinafter "the Company") will progressively expand production capacity for sputtering targets for magnetic devices used in hard disk media (hereinafter "HD media") installed in hard disk drives (hereinafter "HDD"), beginning in the second half of fiscal year 2026.

Against the backdrop of the rapid proliferation of generative AI and cloud services, the volume of data handled by data centers is increasing at an accelerating pace. HDD play a vital role in data centers as storage devices capable of efficiently storing large volumes of data, and this demand growth is expected to continue over the medium to long term.

HDD are devices that store data on recording layers using the properties of magnetism. The Company has been supplying sputtering targets for magnetic devices--essential for the film deposition of these recording layers--for many years. In recent years, HDD recording technology has been transitioning from the conventional PMR(*1) method to HAMR (*2), a next-generation recording method that enables significantly higher recording densities. Along with this transition, new materials are being adopted in HD media. The Company aims to contribute to enhancing the performance of customers' products by leveraging its extensive materials expertise and manufacturing technologies, while also pursuing the expanded adoption of its sputtering targets for magnetic devices.

In light of these circumstances, the Company has decided to expand production capacity of sputtering targets for magnetic devices at its Isohara Works, beginning in the second half of fiscal year 2026, in order to reliably meet anticipated growth in demand. Going forward, the Company will continue to progressively strengthen its supply system while closely monitoring market trends and customer needs.

In addition, in light of the robust demand in AI data center-related fields and other areas, the JX Advanced Metals Group is preparing capacity expansion plans for multiple products in its advanced materials business, and will announce details sequentially once they have been determined.

Sputtering targets for magnetic devices

*1 PMR (Perpendicular Magnetic Recording): A magnetic recording method widely used in current HDDs that achieves high-density recording by aligning the magnetization direction perpendicular to the disk surface.
*2 HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording): A next-generation magnetic recording method that uses laser light to locally heat the recording layer of HD media, achieving higher recording densities than conventional methods.

Reference
JX Advanced Metals Official Owned Media: "The Evolution of Next-Generation Data Centers and the Expanding Demand for HDDs, Supported by Our Products"

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