HEADS I

T. Stobiecki

Katedra Elektroniki AGH

4 wykład 25.10.2004

History of HDD

• 1956 – HDD of IBM, random access method of accounting and control (RAMAC)

• 1980 – induction thin film head

• 1990 – write induction coil, read AMR sensor

• 1996 – GMR sensor

The writting process

The magnetoresistive head depend on the written magnetization. In order to obtain the maximum output voltage, it must match properly the written magnetization

transmission in the recording medium.

Schematic representation of a longitudinal recording process

Magnetic force micrograph (MFM)of recorded bit patterns. Track width is 350 nm recorded in antiferromagnetic coupled layers (AFC media)

Disc drive

The slider carrying the magnetic write/read head. The slider is mounted on the end of head gimbal assembly (HGA)

The air-bearing surface (ABS) allowing the head to fly at a distance above the medium about 10 nm

The magnetic disks (up to 10) in diameter 1 – 5.25 inches. 5.400 – 15.000 RPM it is related to about 100 km/h

Inductive write head

The yoke consists of structured Ni81Fe19 (permalloy) films P1 and P2.These films are all deposited on the top of substrate which consists of insulators (Al2O3

and TiC). The gap width is defined by the thickness of Al2O3 insulation layer between P1 and P2 hich is

below 100 nm.

Micrograph of the write/read head taken by SEM from the ABS side.

Write field calculation

Electric circuit Magnetic circuit

Current (I) Flux (=B•A)

Voltage (V) Magnetic potential (nI)

Resistance (R) Reluctance (R=l/ 0A)

Conductivity () Permeability ( 0)

c

gccg

gg

AAlg

nI

g

nI

RR

RH

0

lc= length of the ring head coreAc= core cross-sectionAg= gap cross-section

g=c (1)

by assumption that had is infinite in z direction and the core is much wider than the gap (g) in x direction

From Eq.(2) Hg= nI/g if permability . Had has an ideal efficiency.

(2)

Write field calculation

The Hx component:

gx

HH where

y

gx

y

gx 2arctan2arctan (3)

For calculation of the write field within the magnetic medium y can be taken as: y=d+/2

Write head field

Ferrite heads the core is usually made of NiZn or MnZn.Insulators can be operated at frequency > 10MHz

Thin film heads yoke (core): permalloy (81Ni19Fe) or aluminium - iron - silicon - alloy (AlFeSi) typically 2- to 4 µm thicknesses.

Write head field

wg

NIH

4.00

CHH 30

SBH 6.00

In high-density recording, the deep gap field required is:

where HC is the coercivity of the recording

medium

where BS is the saturation flux density

of the pole of yoke material

4

222

10

w

wX g

yx

ygtan

HH

Plots of the horizontal component Hx vs. distance x

Note that the trajectory closer to the head (A-B) has both a higher maximum field and higher field gradient dHx/dx.

Written magnetization transition

• When the written current is held constant, the magnetization written in the recording medium is at one of the remanent levels MR. When the write current is suddenly changed from one polarity to the other, the written magnetization undergoes a transition from one polarity of remanent magnetization to the other.

fx

tanMxM R12

)(

Written magnetization transition

The write current is adjusted so that horizontal component of Hx on the midplane of the recording meets a specific criterion.

)2/(23

max

dH

dxdH Cx

Written magnetization transition

2max

4fM

dxdH Rd

dx

HHd

dHdM

dxdM demaghead

2

1

2/3

22

d

MH

fR

C

Written magnetization transition

fx

tanMxM R12

)(

2

1

2/3

22

d

MH

fR

C

The writting problem is now completly solved because f is but the single parameter required to define fully the magnetization transition of

equation:

Possible ways to reduce the transition width, by reducing f, are to use higher coercivities, lower remanences, smaller flying heights, and thinner media. With the exception of lowering the remanence, all have been exploited in the past. When inductive reading heads are used, reducing the remanent magnetization is not an acceptable strategy, however, because it always reduces the signal and signal-noise ratio of the recorder.Equation for transition slope parameter f is also used in the simplified design of the shielded magnetoresistive head.

Coil write current

Recording medium coercivity Hc = 200 kA/m (2500 Oe)

Write field H0= 2.5Hc= 500 kA/m (6250 Oe)

Medium thickness = 10 nm

The head medium spacing d=20 nm

The parametr y=d+/2= 25 nm

For x=0 the required minimum field in the head gap Hg of width g=100 nm and y/g=0.25 can be determined from Eq.(3) Hg=710 kA/m (8875 Oe)

If the write head coil consists of n=10 turns, the coil current I=7 mA.

Write head materials

In order to to achieve high data rates, high areal densities as well as reliable performance suitable magnetic materials for inductive write heads have to fulfill a list of requirements:

•High saturation magnetization (Ms) is necessary because it defines the maximum Hg. High field (Hg) is necessary to write magnetic media with high coercivity (sitable for for high density storage).

•The soft magnetic materials must have large permeability () over wide frequency range to achieve sufficient head efficiency at high data rates. A permeability loss at higher frequencies due to eddy currents can be suppressed by highly resistive materials or laminated materials with insulating layers. Laminated structures require dry deposition process as sputtering.

•The yoke materials must be magnetically soft in order to minimize hysteresis losses.

•The head materials shoud be high temperature, mechanically and chemically resistant and stable also during operation within the HDD.

The satisfy the requirements to large extend NiFe alloys, iron nitrides (Fe97Al3)75N25 and laminated multilayers FeAlN/Al2O3.