Magnetic changes in GMR heads caused by electrostatic discharge

Author

Wallash, A. ; Kim, Young K.

Author_Institution

Quantum Corp., Milpitas, CA, USA

Volume

34

Issue

4

fYear

1998

fDate

7/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1519

Lastpage

1521

Abstract

The effects of current transients on the magnetic response of GMR sensors is studied. It is shown that GMR sensors with an FeMn exchange layer exhibit large magnetic changes after a single ESD current transient. The energy which results in magnetic failure is only 0.9 nJ, which is much less than the 6 nJ which causes physical melting damage to the GMR sensor. These serious magnetic changes are explained in terms of resetting of the FeMn exchange layer direction due to the elevated temperature and internal magnetic field during the current transient. It is concluded that ESD stress testing of GMR sensors has revealed a new and important magnetic failure mechanism in GMR sensors

Keywords

giant magnetoresistance; magnetic heads; magnetic sensors; magnetoresistive devices; transients; ESD stress testing; FeMn exchange layer; GMR sensors; Ta-NiFe-Co-Cu-Co-NiFe-FeMn-Ta; current transients; electrostatic discharge; giant magnetoresistive heads; internal magnetic field; magnetic failure; melting damage; Biological system modeling; Electrostatic discharge; Giant magnetoresistance; Immune system; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetic fields; Magnetic heads; Magnetic sensors; Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.706602

Filename

706602