Systematic Analysis of HDD Localization in China

Based on the latest information, I conducted a systematic analysis of the HDD localization issue in China:

Zhou Yuefeng, CEO of Huawei Cloud, clearly stated that

[0]. This judgment reflects that China still has obvious shortcomings in the field of high-end storage technology.

The manufacturing of HDDs can be called a “miracle of micro-engineering”:

• The magnetic head floats only
  3 nanometers
  above the disk surface for high-speed reading and writing (equivalent to 1/20,000 of the diameter of a human hair)
• The disk medium needs to store several TB of data per square inch, with an error no larger than the width of a DNA chain
• The manufacturing of magnetic heads for MAMR and HAMR technologies requires
  Angstrom-level precision manufacturing processes
  , which can only be achieved through fully automated manufacturing processes[1]

• There are over
  100,000
  core patents in the global HDD field, almost completely divided by the three giants (Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba)
• The patent layout for next-generation technologies such as Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR) is particularly tight, making it difficult for domestic enterprises to bypass[0]

Key Components	Technical Requirements	Supply Pattern
Magnetic Head	Ruthenium alloy film purity needs to reach 99.9999%	Japan’s TDK dominates the global market
Glass Substrate	High-precision optical-grade glass	US-based Corning monopolizes
Disk Grinder	Nanoscale precision	Japan’s Disco accounts for 90% of the market share

Tests from Huawei’s Storage Laboratory indicate that the defect rate of 20TB HDD magnetic heads made by domestic manufacturers is

, whereas the international standard demands a rate below [0].

China has not never attempted to develop independent hard drives:

• Great Wall Group launched China’s first independently produced 8.6GB high-speed hard drive
• Yituo Technology debuted as “China’s first hard drive” and once introduced IBM’s glass disk platter technology
• However, these attempts ultimately failed, mainly due to:
  • Adopting a vicious cycle model of “introduction-lag-reintroduction”
  • Inability to access the design principles and processes of core components such as magnetic heads, disk platters, and servo motors
  • High product failure rates and significantly reduced market acceptance[0]

• If international technical cooperation or key material breakthroughs are obtained
• Catch up in traditional PMR technology, but only for products with capacities below 20TB

• Establish a complete supply chain system for magnetic heads and disk platters
• Achieve breakthroughs in MAMR technology
• Production capacity reaches the million-unit level, but still lags behind international advanced levels by 1-2 generations

• Continue to lag in next-generation technologies such as HAMR
• Face patent barriers and legal risks
• Continue to rely on imports for key links in the industrial chain

1. Material Breakthrough
   : Raise ruthenium alloy film purity to the 99.9999% level
2. Equipment Localization
   : Develop nanoscale disk grinders and precision assembly equipment
3. Patent Layout
   : Bypass existing patent pools and establish an independent intellectual property system
4. Industrial Collaboration
   : Promote joint research by upstream and downstream enterprises, such as the cooperation model between Toshiba and SAE Electronics[1]

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: Considering the extreme complexity of HDD technology and the current industrial foundation, . During this period, international cooperation (such as Toshiba’s localized production model in China) may be a more realistic transitional path.

• [0] Caifuhao - “HDD: Why It Has Become a Focus Again” (https://caifuhao.eastmoney.com/news/20260103112213586791240)
• [1] CSDN - “This Veteran Hard Drive Giant Is Building a ‘Home’ for Massive Data in China” (https://www.csdn.net/article/2025-12-31/156449708)