DUAL-STRIPE MR HEADS FOR ONE GIGABIT PER INCH SQUARE RECORDING DENSITY

The dual-stripe MR head configuration has advantages such as high signal amplitude, symmetrical waveform, symmetrical cross-track profile and thermal asperity immunity. We have designed, fabricated and tested dual-stripe MR heads for 1 Gb/in(2) areal density. Small read gap-length (0.28 mu m), narrow track width (2 mu m read/3 mu m write), low fly height (1.4 mu in) and planarized shared poles are the key design parameters. Test results of these heads have shown-typical isolated-pulse amplitude of 800 mu V-p-p, positive-negative peak amplitude ratio less than 10 %, symmetrical track-profiles, and good stability. Using a PRML channel, we have demonstrated a linear bit density of 150 kbpi and a track density of 6700 tpi. The off-track capability is about 0.6 mu m at the error rate of 10(-7).