Ring head recording on perpendicular media: Output spectra for CoCr and CoCr/NiFe media

The recording density response for sputtered CoCr (thickness=0.5 μm) and CoCr/NiFe (t=0.25 μm/0.5 μm) as well as evaporated CoNi (t=0.12 μm) and Co surface-doped iron oxide particulate media has been measured by reading and writing with Mn-Zn ferrite heads (gap length=0.375 μm, track width=37 μm) in contact with the media. Measurements to 200 kfc/i (thousand flux changes per inch) show a gap null around 115 kfc/i. The data have been normalized by dividing out the head sensitivity to obtain the value of spacing plus transition width (d+a) for the various media. For the CoCr media this value varied from 0.075–0.088 μm; for CoNi, 0.100 μm, and for the particulate medium, 0.163 μm. In addition, testing with a larger gapped Mn-Zn ferrite head (g=2.43 μm) shows that the head fields are distorted by the soft magnetic underlayer in dual layer CoCr/NiFe samples when the gap length is large compared to the distance to the underlayer.