1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reducing noise due to head-tape contact in a single-ended magnetoresistive read element.
2. Background of the Invention
Information is written onto a magnetic tape by magnetizing tape elements. These magnetized tape elements produce a magnetic field that can be detected and converted to an electrical signal by a read head. A common type of read head for carrying out this conversion is the magnetoresistive (MR) read head.
A simple MR head consists of a thin film of magnetoresistive material, such as permalloy, between two insulating layers. When the MR layer is formed, a magnetic field is typically applied in a direction parallel to the plane of the thin layer. Thus, the MR layer exhibits a uniaxial anisotropy with an easy-axis of magnetization parallel to the direction of the applied field. If an external magnetic field, such as from a magnetic tape, is applied normal to the easy-axis, the magnetization direction of the MR layer will rotate away from the easy-axis and toward the direction of the applied magnetic field. This magnetization rotation causes a change in resistance in the MR layer. When no external field is applied, the resistance is greatest. The resistance decreases with increasing applied field. For practical geometries of the MR layer, resistance as a function of applied field traces a bell-shaped curve. The MR head is often biased with an applied current such that a zero magnitude applied field results in a resistance near an inflection point on the resistance curve. Thus, small changes about a zero magnitude applied external field result in nearly linear changes in resistance.
To accommodate increasing densities of data stored on magnetic tape, the geometries of read heads continue to shrink. As read head geometries become smaller, however, MR read heads become increasingly susceptible to noise. Dual-element read heads may be used in a differential manner to counteract some of this susceptibility by eliminating common-mode noise, but at a cost of slightly increased head size and loss of data density on the recording medium. A need exists, therefore, for a read head that allows for a smaller physical size than conventional double-element read heads, but with less susceptibility to noise.
The present invention is directed toward a single-element magnetoresistive (MR) read head with reduced susceptibility to noise. In particular, the present invention addresses the problem of noise generated thermally through contact with the recording medium. The present invention solves this problem by keeping the temperature of the read head at a level that minimizes the noise level. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shielding material used in the read head is recessed with respect to the magnetic-medium-bearing surface. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a thin coating of metal on the read head surface is applied. In yet another embodiment, the read element is operated with a low bias current so as to minimize the thermal effect of power consumption due to electrical resistance. In still another embodiment, the read element makes use of insulating material that is both an electrical insulator and a high quality thermal insulator.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The present invention is directed generally toward a magnetoresistive (MR) read element for reading information from a magnetic storage medium in a storage device.
Magnetic tape 108 moves from source spool 110 to take-up spool 112 in a pulley action from force applied by motor 114. Source spool 110 and take-up spool 112 may exist separately, or may be incorporated into an integrated package, such as a tape cartridge or cassette.
Data recorded to magnetic tape 108 will preferably be written in the form of several parallel tracks extending longitudinally along a surface of magnetic tape 108. Read/write assembly 106 will preferably contain multiple read heads and write heads for reading and writing to/from these tracks simultaneously. Read/write assembly 106 maintains alignment with magnetic tape 108 by way of a servo control 124, which uses solenoid 126 to position read/write assembly 106 vertically with respect to magnetic tape 108. Read/write assembly 106 is generally positioned so that its read and write heads are kept at a very small distance from magnetic tape 108 in order to detect the small magnetic flux reversals on magnetic tape 108 that encode digital data or other information (e.g. analog signals or audio).
Because read/write assembly 106 is positioned at only a small distance from magnetic tape 108, which is a moving medium, intermittently the read/write assembly 106 and the read and write elements it contains will make contact with magnetic tape 108. This intermittent contact with magnetic tape 108 causes the temperature of the read and write elements in read/write assembly 106 to fluctuate. When the read elements are very small in size, this contact with magnetic tape 108 can result in a significant amount of thermally-generated noise being injected into the signal read from magnetic tape 108.
One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that this thermally-generated noise resulting from contact with the recording medium (hereinafter referred to as “thermal contact noise”) is not a phenomenon limited to magnetic tapes, but may also occur in other magnetic media without limitation. Examples of other magnetic media include floppy disks, hard disks, and magnetic drums.
In the presence of a magnetic field, such as that provided by recording medium 208, magnetoresistive material 202 changes in electrical resistance. Thus, magnetoresistive material 202 acts as a variable resistor or rheostat that varies in resistance in response to changes in the local magnetic field. Thus, a signal may be read from recording medium 208 via MR read element 200 by incorporating magnetoresistive material 202 into a circuit to fulfill the role of a rheostat. In
Returning attention now to the physical characteristics of MR read element 200, it can be seen from
Thermal contact noise can be reduced by minimizing the temperature change of the read element by tape contact. The tape cools the element by the following process: First, the tape transfers heat from the shields, cooling them. Then, since the shields are in thermal equilibrium with the element the element will cool also.
We can therefore minimize element temperature changes by either minimizing heat flow between the shields and tape, or providing a means to make the heat flow more constant.
Minimizing heat flow between shields and tape can be done by
As stated previously, additional alternative embodiments of the present invention reduce thermal contact noise by lowering a bias current of the magnetoresistive material or steady state resistance of the magnetoresistive material to beneath a pre-determined amount. This prevents heating of the shields by the magnetoresistive material by keeping the current density of the magnetoresistive material low and thus lowers the temperature differential between the shields and magnetic medium (e.g., tape). This can also be accomplished by using a high-quality insulating material and/or increasing the thickness of the insulating material to prevent the magnetoresistive material portion of the MR read element from heating the shields.
The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
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