Modeling of various magnetoresistive head designs for contact recording

As areal density increases demand magnetoresistive (MR) sensors and contact limited spacing, recessed MR designs will be needed for system robustness. In this study, two dimensional reciprocity modeling is used to evaluate the relative performance of various MR designs for both longitudinal and perpendicular recording in contact. Shielded designs offer large signals but are not robust enough for sliding contact applications. Of the recessed sensor designs, longitudinal yokes tend to have low efficiency, while a perpendicular pole MR head offers excellent efficiency, but reduced resolution.