Erase and write widths for narrow track high-density flexible storage media applications

A detailed study of the magnetic widths of data tracks recorded in metal particle media is reported. These widths are important in determining the track density of future flexible media storage systems. The tracks were written using a novel inverted write head that offers excellent pole width tolerance control. The widths of both the written track and erase zone were studied as functions of both write current and write head dimension. It was found that the erased track widths written with both the wide and narrow poles were very similar and increased with increasing write current. However in the case of writing with the wide pole, the written track widths increased with write current whereas those written with the narrow pole did not. This was interpreted as resulting from a curved fringing field whose width increases with write current. Variation of the throat height was not found to significantly affect the width of tracks written with either pole.