Title :
Flux guide type tunnel-valve head for tape storage applications
Author :
Nakashio, E. ; Sugawata, J. ; Onoe, S. ; Kumagai, S.
Author_Institution :
Sendai Technol. Center, Sony Miyagi Corp., Japan
fDate :
9/1/2002 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The feasibility of tunnel magnetoresistive read heads with flux-guide (FG) layers was investigated for helical-scan tape storage applications. In order to stabilize tunnel-valve elements, a long-range exchange coupling bias scheme was employed, consisting of a Cu layer and an antiferromagnet deposited on top of a free layer in the tunnel-valve element. The maximum output of the FG type reader was about four times larger than that of a conventional anisotropic magnetoresistive reader, and thermal asperity noise of the magnetoresistance reader could be reduced drastically. The tunnel-valve readers have symmetrical track profiles, which are suitable for nontracking tape systems.
Keywords :
exchange interactions (electron); magnetic heads; magnetic multilayers; magnetic recording noise; magnetic tape storage; magnetoresistive devices; tunnelling; Cu layer; Cu-PtMn-CoFe-Ru-CoFe-Al-Al2O3-CoFe-NiFe; TiW-Ta-PtMn-CoFe-Ru-CoFe-Al-Al2O3-CoFe-NiFe; antiferromagnet; flux guide type tunnel-valve head; flux-guide layers; helical-scan tape storage; long-range exchange coupling bias scheme; magnetic tunnel junction; nontracking tape systems; symmetrical track profiles; tape storage applications; thermal asperity noise; tunnel magnetoresistive read heads; tunnel-valve element free layer; tunnel-valve element stabilization; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Antiferromagnetic materials; Geometry; Giant magnetoresistance; Hard disks; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetic heads; Magnetic tunneling; Tunneling magnetoresistance; Valves;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TMAG.2002.802807
